Wild Spirits
by FanWriter02
Summary: Wild West AU. Hiccup becomes an outcast at age fifteen for being weak, a horrible gunslinger, and an all around klutz. Three years later, and although Hiccup's no longer the little boy he used to be, he still can't shoot straight to save his life. But when Hiccup accidentally ropes the famed wild mustang "The Night Fury", how will this untamable beast change Hiccup's fate?
1. Prologue

_His heart was wild,_

 _But I didn't want to catch it,_

 _I wanted to run with it,_

 _To set mine free._

 **Prologue**

My names Hiccup.

Great name I know, and I honestly still don't know how I was carted off with it. I suppose it could be because I'm one of the smallest wranglers in Berk, or that I was born early. I've never asked, although I suppose it would make a good question.

My father is the great Stoick "the Vast" Haddock, one of the best and well-known sheriff's in the country. He's big, has got all the muscle, taller than most, can shoot any gun from any distance and still hit the target. He's a man not to be reckoned with, and many outlaws have gone under his hand.

Me? I'm his deputy. Well, that's what I'm told. And even though I wear the little brass star on my chest, often time's I hide it under my bandanna or pin it inside my shirt. It's not like anyone listens to me anyways, and that little star has gotten me into more trouble then I care to explain. The title deputy isn't really acknowledged by… _anybody_ , it's more of a statement that yes, I'm Hiccup, the failure of a son to Stoick Haddock.

The title "Hiccup the Useless" is starting to pick up now, and I try to ignore it, but Samson "Snotlout" Jorgenson finds it some kind of joke, as do the twins, Tyler "Tuffnut" Thoroston and Rachel "Ruffnut" Thoroston. Fred "Fishlegs" Ingerman seems to be the calmer one out for the other teen wranglers my age. But he can afford to be shy, for he's got the bulk to make up for it and a good shooting hand. He's never been mean to me… exactly… but has definitely never stood up for me either.

Then, there's Astrid Hofferson, one of the best horse wranglers in Berk. Even though she's just fifteen, she can still wrangle a wild mustang down with one hand tied behind her back. And gods, she's one of the prettiest gals in town. She's got this wild blonde hair that seems untamable, always tied back in a heavy braid although hair seems determined to escape it. She wears this old Stetson that I haven't seen her go anywhere without, along with a leather beaded headband of some sort that overlapped her hair and forehead. Most of the time she wears leather leggings tucked inside worn cowboy boots, and even though I know she doesn't do it to look good, she accidently makes herself even more attractive. Added with the tight blue tank top and leather vest, exposing her bare arms that had leather chords tied around the biceps- she's a woman that all the teens in Berk are after.

Even though she's never out and out made fun of me, like the others, she's never tried to stop the bullying either. But that gives me hope that perhaps she doesn't truly hate me- at least not as much as the others do. Still, I don't stand a chance. Who's going to want Hiccup the Useless anyways? Not to mention I'm skinnier then a pole, and I'm shorter than her. Plus I'm a terrible shot.

Most deputies out here can shoot fairly well- if not reward winners. Not me. I've been practicing with a gun since I was eight, and even now when I'm fifteen and sworn in as a deputy, I still can't shoot straight to save my life. Dad's tried to teach me, a long time ago, but after five tries and failures he gave up, and it was Gobber who took over the job.

Gobber's my Dad's best friend and voice of reason, although to me he's like another father… or more like the father I never had. He teases, sure, and he's rough at times but Gobber _knows_ when to stop. And he's always been there for me, even in the hardest times when all my Dad and I seemed to do was fight. I even stayed over at his Blacksmith's shop a couple of nights when I was too tired to go home, or just plain didn't want to.

I've worked with Gobber over the past three years in the forge, it distracts me. And many might think that me, as a deputy, would have many and beyond duties to tend to. Nope. I do not. My Dad just gave me the title deputy years ago, before I became a total nuisance Now I carry it just so he can call on my whenever he wishes without fighting me, for I'm his deputy, and I should listen to his rules no matter what- even if I find them petty and not exactly the jobs deputies should be doing. I'm more his delivery boy then anything, so I for the most part hang out at the forge and help Gobber with all the work there. It's one place where I feel like I can actually do something right, like I stand a chance. I don't goof up as much, I know how to handle myself in the forge. It's my only refuge.

I'm not allowed to go out and hunt outlaws, bandits, or cattle rustlers like my Father and the other "teens in training" do. I'm told to stay behind and "stay out of trouble", and even though I'm the deputy and should be the one to watch the town, Spitelout, my Uncle, is put in charge of Berk while my Dad's away.

Yep, so is my life on Berk. Not too terrible, but definitely not great either. I have a feeling it won't change any time soon either, so I try to do the best with it, the best that I can.

It's hard, yeah, and times get tough. But I'll just try and push through and hope for the best.

…

Hiccup stepped out onto the wooden deck of the porch, lifting a hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight that skimmed shadows across the ground. The sun was barely peaking above the hills in the distance, and Hiccup could feel it in every bone in his body. Every part of him was screaming at him to go back to bed, to lie down and get some well needed rest. But he knew that if he ever wanted to get anything done- or even survive for that matter- he'd have to get his butt moving and head down to the forge.

Gobber had started paying him about a year ago now, since he began working at the forge full time. Hiccup hadn't told his Dad, not fully sure what Stoick would think of it. He probably should, but somehow, he figured that would take an even worse turn…

"Hey Pix." Hiccup greeted the old collie dog curled up on the steps. She lifted her head and wagged her tail slightly before curling up again, letting out a sigh as she fell back to sleep.

Hiccup laughed slightly before giving her head a light pat, then trotting down the steps. He finished tucking his green wool shirt into his brown trousers, grabbing his rumbled old Stetson off the step railing before pulling it over his tousled auburn hair.

Hiccup finished tidying himself up by the time he reached the corral behind the house where the four horses were being stalled. His small Quarter Horse gelding trotted over immediately, giving a little whinny of joy at the sight of him.

"Hey, Cisco." Hiccup smiled and let the horse's head rest against his shoulder before bringing a hand up to rub its soft velvety nose. "Good to see you too, fella."

He turned and went to grab a bucket of feed for his horse, along with his tack and pick. On his return, he let Cisco eat the feed while he brushed him down and took a look at his hooves. He then took the heavy saddle, struggling to lift it up onto the horse's back.

"Okay." Hiccup bent down and grabbed the cinch, carefully tying the straps before stepping back and taking a deep breath. "Now, the hard part. Suck it in, Cisco."

He grabbed the leather strap and gave a hard tug, trying to tighten it as fitted as possible. Cisco snorted and stomped a hoof, but otherwise didn't object to the tack.

 _"Oof."_ Hiccup grunted, hastily flipping the strap into the buckle. He stepped back and grabbed the saddle horn, giving it a little wriggle to see if it would stay steady. "Alright, that looks good."

Cisco stomped another hoof, anxious to be free of the pen and to let out some pent-up energy, the little energy he had. Cisco wasn't exactly young anymore, well going on to his seventeenth year. But he still had spunk and energy, just the right amount for Hiccup to handle. Although at times Hiccup did wish he had a big stallion instead of a small bay gelding, but Cisco was a good horse, willing to work and didn't shy from long rides which Hiccup took often to wear off steam.

"Let's go to the forge, huh, fella?" Hiccup asked, lifting a foot and trying to pry it into the stirrup. He was still too short to climb into the saddle easily, even with Cisco's 14 hh, Hiccup still struggled to get himself onto his back.

With a little jump, he flung himself aboard and swung his leg over the saddle and into the other stirrup. He picked up the reigns, turning his horse towards the gate. He bent down and unlatched the rope, Cisco pushing the gate open with his chest before back pacing so Hiccup could relatch it.

"To the forge, Cisco." Hiccup stated, Cisco giving a snort before following the well-worn path through town. It wasn't a long ride, only a couple of minutes, but Cisco could use the exercise, and at noon break Hiccup always took Cisco for a five-mile ride.

Cisco broke into a slow, lazy trot, his head even with his body and his ears flicking from backwards to front ways, betraying how relaxed he was. Hiccup relaxed as well, letting his hand go up to readjust his Stetson before falling in front of the saddle horn.

A sharp inhumane scream split the air, causing Cisco to spook abruptly. Hiccup in his alarm lost his hold and tumbled off, Cisco backing away with wide white eyes and his feet sprawled apart.

Hiccup sat up slowly, rubbing his rear tenderly as he looked in the direction the scream had emanated from. It was from the corrals, where the wild mustangs were broken…

Around the outermost corner- the building of Sven's Outpost- dashed a black blur towards the outside of town. At first Hiccup was just shocked that anything could run that fast, then, he let out a shout of disbelief.

A small person ran out from the corner, shouting streams of curse words that Hiccup didn't dare repeat. She took hold of her Stetson and slammed it to the ground, digging the heal of her boot into the crown before standing there, staring off at the quickly disappearing horse that Hiccup knew all too well.

 _It was the Night Fury._

Hiccup wheezed for air, still trying to catch his breath from his fall. He scrambled to his feet and grabbed Cisco's reigns, murmuring words to the frightened horse in hopes of calming him down. The gelding huffed and was still stiff, although his eyes were slowing readjusting to normal.

Hiccup turned back towards Astrid, and saw that she was still standing there on her hat, her head swiveled in the direction the Night Fury had escaped. Hiccup laughed shakily, not believing what he'd just seen. Astrid had caught the Night Fury? The wildest horse in the country, dubbed the unbreakable stallion?

Maybe what shocked Hiccup more was that Astrid had failed to break the horse. She'd never failed, had always been seen first on any wild horse's back. And Hiccup had never, _ever_ seen a horse get away from her still as wild as when it had been free.

He stared at her for a bit longer, then looked back towards the prairie's where the horse had long since disappeared. This wasn't the first time Hiccup had seen the legendary mustang, he'd seen him another time in his wild herd. He hadn't known a horse could run so fast… and to be honest it scared him, yet amazed him at the same time.

Before Astrid could turn and catch sight of him, Hiccup ducked around and scrambled onto Cisco's back. The horse snorted uneasily, but listened when Hiccup gave the reigns a small tug towards the Smithy; Hiccup could hardly wait to tell Gobber what had happened.

Hiccup looked over his shoulder before Cisco took him out of sight, and he smiled in awe at the sight of the Night Fury running over a distant hill, nearly four miles away. That horse wasn't huge, but had muscle and a fiery spirit to match, and even though the Night Fury was often described as "devil", Hiccup admired him. He was a small 15hh, was constantly being attacked and captured to be broke, but he never gave up. It reminded Hiccup a lot of himself, although he definitely didn't have the hard core fire the stallion had.

Hiccup sighed and turned back around, holding a bit tighter to the reigns. Someday… maybe someday, he can capture the Night Fury and prove to the whole town of Berk that he was worthy to be a Haddock. Worthy to be on the earth at all.

 _Someday…_


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: _Hello all! Thank you for all the kind reviews on the Prologue, as well as the follows. They really make my day. :) And I know that the first chapter was kinda… choppy. But the rest should flow much better now… I hope anyways! Now I will be updating every Saturday, and the chapters should be around this length. Somewhere between 4k-5k words. Thank you for reading, let me know what you think of this!_

 **Chapter 1.**

 _ **Three Years Later**_

Hiccup picked up the .44 Colt, holding it as steady as possible while his finger twitched nervously at the trigger. "Gobber I…"

"Don't give up, lad." Gobber rested a hand on Hiccup's shoulder, carefully directing his arm in the correct direction and posture. "There, give it a try. Smack in the bottle."

Hiccup sighed and turned back to the target several yards ahead of him. The gun shook a bit in his hand- he already knew he'd miss the glass bottle that was supposed to be his target. Hiccup closed his left eye, focusing on the small medal line above the gun's barrel.

"Steady, Hiccup." Gobber warned. "Small breaths, steady hand-"

Hiccup focused as hard as he could, finally thinking he had his shaky hand lined up perfectly- he pulled the trigger. The gun vibrated in his hand, and he hurriedly let his hand drop to his side as he waited for the sound of shattering glass.

Nothing.

He opened his eyes and stared hatefully at the fence where the bottle was resting, and where a good-sized junk was missing out of the fence as well. Nearly a foot away from the bottle. He let out a shuddering sigh, absolutely hating himself and for everything he could- no, _couldn't_ \- do…

He growled and slammed the Colt on the powder barrel angrily, his hands going to clutch the edges of the lid as he ducked his head, his longish auburn hair flopping over his eyes and obscuring his vision. It didn't matter though, for his eyes were clenched shut.

"Hiccup-"

"I can't do it, Gobber!" Hiccup shouted, "I've tried… for ten years… I'm never going to get it!"

He felt a strong hand grip his shoulder giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Come on, Hiccup. It's just… you're just a late bloomer. Like everything else about you."

Hiccup knew he was speaking about his "figure", and even though Gobber was trying to comfort him, it actually only made his heart ache more. He was eighteen now, and had only just finished going through puberty, a fine layer of stubble now outlining his jaw forcing him to shave every so often. He'd also grown nearly a foot, now a good six foot height. He was taller than Gobber now, which Hiccup still had a hard time believing. So long he'd been the shortest teen in town, now he was one of the tallest. He'd even surpassed Snotlout, which had drove his younger cousin crazy. Snotlout used to be the tallest out of the teens, and now he was the shortest.

Not only that, but he was no longer the stick straight scrawny teen he once was, but over the last few weeks he'd most definitely filled out. He'd always had a bit of muscle, only now it showed a bit more, especially with all the working at the Forge. Although he was by no means a bulky big man like Snotlout or Fishlegs, he wasn't exactly skinny either. Gobber liked to use the definition "lean", which Hiccup accepted with a smile.

His Dad didn't say a word about any of this newness, nothing about his height or small fuzzy stubble. Nothing about how Hiccup now could lift the heavy Western saddles without a problem, and tighten the cinch with one tug. Nothing. Hiccup was beginning to think his Dad didn't notice him at all. Sure, they ate at the same table, they lived in the same house, and Hiccup still had to meet with his father ever Saturday with the rest of the town council- but his Dad never said anything personal. Nothing more than business.

"It doesn't matter." Hiccup whispered. "Dad thinks of me as the small boy who couldn't do a thing for himself. I don't think he'll ever see me as anything different."

Gobber sighed and Hiccup felt the hand slide of his shoulder, although the sound of Gobber's wooden prosthetic leg didn't come. He was still standing behind him. Hiccup opened his eyes and stared at the revolver on the barrel before him, his eyes narrowing in anger and frustration. Why couldn't he just shoot one good shot? Was he doomed to be a lousy gun hand for the rest of his life?

"Hiccup-" Gobber's voice was deep, the tease and normal light-heartedness completely gone, fully replaced with a serious tone. "You listen here, boy. I know your father, have known him since we were kids. He'll come around- it's just been hard ever since…"

"Mom." Hiccup finished. "I know, Gobber, I've only been told for years that her death was my fault-"

"And you know that's not true." Gobber insisted. "You were a child, Hiccup! You had no say in anything-"

"According to my father, I had everything to do with it." Hiccup murmured. His hands gripped the barrel's edge tightly again, before they loosened and released it entirely, instead letting his hands fall at his sides and his head duck even further. "If she hadn't had to take me to the doc-"

"Fever's aren't things that can be planned." Gobber's gruff voice hinted anger. "And you were no more than six months. Just because them outlaws ran off with her does not mean you're the one who caused it. She was just doing what any other loving mother would do- doing the best to protect her offspring."

Hiccup snorted. "Wish Dad would see it that way. To him, I'm a mistake." He slid his hand into his pants pocket, letting his fingers play with the light star resting there. He'd long since stopped wearing his badge, there was no point. No one listened, everyone knew that Stoick thought him nothing, that his own father didn't see him as a deputy. And if the sheriff didn't think his own deputy a deputy… why should the towns folk?

No, that star got him into more fights- he'd lost count. Snotlout especially… that kid was always jealous of Hiccup's rank. If Hiccup wasn't a deputy, Snotlout would be. Hiccup knew this, because for one thing he was family, and Spitelout was his father. And Spitelout just happened to be his right-hand man.

Hiccup was surprised he hadn't lost his place as deputy- or if his father had simply forgotten. Snotlout had also become a deputy a few months earlier, and although he joined the troop, Hiccup still had his badge. Either his Dad forgot Hiccup was in the force, or he just simply didn't care. Hiccup figured it was a little mixture of both.

"You're not, lad." Gobber reassured, clapping a hand against his back before hobbling off towards the back door of the forge. "And don't let anyone tell you different."

"They only have been for the last ten years." Hiccup grumbled, giving the bottle on the fence a glare before picking up the Colt and hurrying after Gobber.

"Eh, ignore them!"

"It's gotten easier." Hiccup added, tossing the gun in a barrel before grabbing his leather apron and pulling it over his light wool shirt. "Years will toughen one I guess." He grabbed a medal tong's, sticking them into the red coals while grabbing an equally hot and disformed horseshoe, placing it on the anvil before grabbing the tongs again.

"And Hiccup," Hiccup glanced up at the blacksmith, giving a huff at his sweaty bangs while eyeing the larger man.

"What?"

"You are tough. And even if Stoick don't see it yet- just give him time."

Hiccup rolled his before turning his attention back onto the medal before him. "So, what, eighteen years isn't enough time?"

Gobber grumbled, grabbing a small box off the work bench and clattering them in his frustration. "Apparently! That man has got a skull thicker than the Mississippi."

"Only it's filled with rocks instead of water." Hiccup added, biting his lip to keep even worse words from escaping. "But he's my Dad. Not much I can do."

"Except wait." Gobber's tone was patient, although Hiccup knew he was growing tired of the same conversation. They'd only been talking about this for the… what- last five years? Just about.

Hiccup sighed and relaxed, the clanging of the hammer against the horseshoe coming to a halt.

"I will."

…

Hiccup tossed the leather apron over the hook by the Forge door, Gobber still inside cleaning up a few of the tools and carefully putting the fires out. "You sure I can go?"

"Yep! Go for a ride, that always cheers you up."

Hiccup sighed and nodded, knowing that riding a horse was the only way he ever felt free- like he wasn't a total screw up. Even though he'd never trained or broke a horse like the other teens- Astrid especially- he still enjoyed working with horses. Especially Cisco, because that horse was smart enough to do a few tricks with Hiccup's patient guidance. But that had come to an end about two years ago- or at least the heavy tricks had stopped. Cisco was just plain too old for it, and didn't have the spirit he once had. Hiccup still taught him how to hug, or how to bow, or how to lay down. These were easier on the horse, instead of the crazy tricks and stunts Hiccup would do while riding horseback. Gobber had once told him he was going to break his neck- especially with the trick Hiccup called the "Belly Hug", where he would flip out of the saddle, his stirrups flipped over the saddle horn and his knees slipped in the loops they created. He would then flip down and slip the other leg into the other loop, practically dangling above Cisco's hooves.

"Thanks, Gobber." Hiccup called out, giving a small wave goodbye before trotting over to the hitching post where Cisco was tied, the horse's ears flicking back slightly and his eyes half shut in his calm state.

"Hey fella." Hiccup greeted, running a hand lightly down the horse's white blaze. Cisco snorted lazily, shifting from one side to the other. Hiccup laughed and pat the horse's chest before lunging aboard, picking up the reigns and giving them a light tug towards the West.

Cisco walked slowly, his head hung low and his ears directed towards Hiccup. Once upon a time Hiccup would've known that this meant his horse was paying attention and listening for directions, but now it just meant that Cisco was happy and relaxed- and perhaps a bit lazy. Hiccup smiled slightly and reached down to give the horse's shoulder a light pat, Cisco letting loose a sigh of content.

He was tired, Hiccup knew that. Cisco was past twenty years, the ripe old age for a horse. Especially one of Cisco's size and history. He was once a wild one in the herd, and wild horses tended to go earlier. It was the rough living Gobber said that caused it, it was just hard on a horse's body.

"We'll just go for a walk." Hiccup reassured, rubbing a hand through Cisco's tangled main. "Huh, sound good?"

Cisco snorted.

"Hm, guess that's a yes…" Hiccup smiled and looked up, they were now out of town. Good, now he could let himself relax and feel… well, alive again. If he walked through town, often times he'd get pulled aside by Snotlout or some other bully- or a drunk. Sometimes a bum looking for money. Everyone knew him to be the weak and vulnerable one of the town- the one who would shy away from a fight if at all possible. Which was true, he hated fighting. Even after all the years of being bullied, he still hated seeing anything or anyone hurting. So yeah, if someone pulled him out of the street and demand money or pain would come- Hiccup would give it. Mainly because he hated the thought of actually causing someone harm, even in self-defense. Besides, if news got out that he'd started up a fight, his Dad would most likely be beyond angry.

"What a mess." Hiccup muttered. "Nothing I do can be taken in the right way. If I defend myself, they'll be mad because I "started" a fight. I don't defend myself and get beaten up, and I'm considered "weak"… what do they want me to do, huh?"

Cisco gave a slight shake of his head, giving a rumbling sigh in response.

"At least I've got you, huh Cisco?"

Cisco snorted again, giving a little stumble as his hoof knocked against a hard stone in the ground. He found his footing again before giving a little shudder, coming to a halt as his whole body shook.

"Cisco..?" Hiccup asked hesitantly, leaning forward to see the horse's chocolate brown eyes flutter. "You okay, fella?"

There was a moment of silence, several minutes passing before Cisco picked up the pace again. Hiccup sighed in relief, once again taking up his relaxed stance and letting himself slouch comfortably in the saddle.

He gazed out over the plains covered in prairie grass, some places dotted by a farm shanty or two, other places scattered with cattle- almost making the hills look like they were sprinkled with dust. Hiccup smiled happily, the sun now just peaking over the larger mountain like hills in the distance. This was his favorite time of day- the time of evening where the sun was just setting out of sight, where the world was suddenly aglow with a yellowish light.

"Beautiful." He breathed, gazing out over the land. He heard a cry sound from above, and he gazed up to see a bald eagle glide overhead. Hiccup grinned and lifted a hand as though to touch the bird, although his fingers only found empty air.

"Free… that's what I want to be." Hiccup whispered, letting his hand fall against the saddle. "Free or loved."

Cisco stomped a hoof, as though to say he was loved and free- as long as they were together.

Hiccup laughed again, running a hand over the horse's thick hide. "Yeah, I know boy. But it's still not the same. The only time I'm truly free is when I ride out of town. In town I'm just the-"

Cisco huffed, stopping him from saying more. Hiccup just smiled and leaned over against his horse's neck, realizing how much smaller Cisco seemed. His growth spurt had definitely changed things- now making Cisco seem more ponylike then before.

"Perhaps…" Hiccup murmured. Cisco was old and wanted to retire, walking and even loping had become uncomfortable for the old cow horse. The poor guy needed a good rest.

"Tomorrow." Hiccup stated, Cisco's ears twitching. "It's time, pal. You need to retire- and I guess I've sort of out grown you as a saddle horse…"

Cisco sighed, as though understanding the meaning of Hiccup's words. Town was in sight, and although Cisco was exhausted after only the two-mile ride, he perked up a bit and broke into a slow lope towards his corral.

Upon reaching it Hiccup slid off, hurrying to unbuckle the saddle and bridle. Cisco strolled away, his tail swishing slightly as he paused by the feed bin.

"'Night, Cisco." Hiccup called back before slowly making his way towards the large farmhouse. He stopped at the steps, bending down to give old Pixie a pat on the head before slowly trotting up the steps.

Hiccup's hand hovered over the doorknob as he prayed a silent prayer for his Dad to not be home yet. He cranked the door open, letting the screen door spring shut behind him.

"Dad?" He called out hesitantly. No reply, so he took that as a sign that Stoick was indeed still at work.

"Thank goodness!" Hiccup breathed in relief. He kicked off his boots and flipped his hat onto the deer antlers fastened to the wall. He ducked through the swinging door into the kitchen, walking to the cooler for the milk and some cold meat.

He turned, humming a tune quietly when his eyes just about popped out of his skull and he nearly had a heart attack- for his Dad was standing right in the doorway.

"Oh… uh, hey, Dad." Hiccup stuttered, glancing down at the meat in his hands wondering if it would be safe to take a bite so he didn't have to talk… "Was just heading up to bed-"

"We need to talk." The big man stated gruffly in his ever-gravelly voice.

Hiccup paused in mid step, backtracking so he was standing before his father. "We… we do?"

"Yes." Stoick grabbed a wooden chair from the table, dropping into it before motioning towards a chair across from him. "Sit."

Hiccup did as he was told, plopping down into it before shifting uncomfortably. It had been weeks since his Dad had spoken to him like this… that thought caused him to gulp nervously. What was wrong?  
The star in his pocket suddenly became heavy, and he somehow knew what was coming.

"You work at the forge now." Stoick stated, as though just finding out this piece of information, although Hiccup had been working there for a good three years now.

Hiccup blinked, nodding slowly. "Yes." He dragged out his answer, wondering what was wrong… was his Dad going to tell him to stop working at the forge? Gosh, he hoped not. That was the only way he was making any money, seeing as how he no longer got payed for being deputy.

Stoick sighed and held out his hand. "Your badge." He stated, wiggling his fingers in command.

Hiccup blinked up from his father's hand, staring heartbrokenly into his Dad's face. "Dad…" he started.

"NOW." Stoick grumbled. "I need it, the twins want to become deputies as well, and I don't need you as a-"

"But I've been a deputy longer than any of them." Hiccup protested, not entirely sure why he was. It's not like the star meant anything to anybody- besides himself anyways. It was more a statement… no, a link between his father and himself. It still tied them together, gave them reasons to speak to each other without arguing...

Gosh, this was… his Dad truly didn't care.

Stoick's eyes were dark and cold, firm, not faltering. Hiccup stared at him for a moment longer, before heaving a heavy sigh that left him feeling empty, before he slowly slid his hand into his pocket and pulled out the badge.

"Please…" Hiccup murmured, glancing up into his father's eyes again. Stoick shook his head, remaining firm. Hiccup held back a sigh- or perhaps a sob, if the tight feeling in his chest was any indication. He dropped the little star into Stoick's palm, his father instantly withdrawing the hand and sliding the star into his chest pocket.

Without another word, Stoick got to his feet, and left the room.

Hiccup stared at the doorway a moment more, before letting the tears come, letting them slide down his cheeks silently as his chest heaved. He had never… this hit him. Hit him hard. He didn't care much about the badge, or even the position as deputy. It was… just that him being deputy to his father the sheriff… it felt like a bond was formed between them. Even if it was business, it was the only thing he had left with his father.

Now, he really had nothing.

Hiccup coughed and scrubbed the tears off his face, stumbling to his feet before hurrying out the door and into the chilly evening outside. It was pitch black out now, the only light being the lantern hanging by the doorstep.

Hiccup forgot all about eating, instead his mind focusing on venting his anger and pent up grief. He ran out past the corral's, past Cisco who was most likely sleeping at this time anyways. He ran out past the edge of town, until he was out in the wild hills of the free lands.

"Why!?" Hiccup shouted to no one, letting himself come to a stop, huffing and puffing loudly as he struggled for air. He let out a shout of anger, whirling about and kicking at a stone on the ground, sending it flying and landing in a small oasis with a plop. "Why can't I just- he… grr!" He kicked at another stone, sending it to join the other in the waters.

With a heavy gasp he stumbled back and landed on the ground against the course grass, feeling the need to sob his heart out. He felt empty, like there wasn't even a reason to stay anymore. Perhaps he should gather the money he'd saved out of the bank, grab it, buy himself a horse, then ride out of this worthless town and find a place somewhere else.

"No one cares." He hissed. "No one. I'm nothing. Cisco… Cisco can't even take me anywhere to rid the pain. He can't run. That was the only time I felt free. When I was one with the wind, one with the horse."

He still had Cisco, as a silent friend anyways. He'd always been such a good friend, always there to run Hiccup's grief and pain away. Always there to listen silently to Hiccup's angry ranting.

But now, Cisco… Cisco was tired. Worn out. He didn't have the spunk he used to, and Hiccup knew that the time had come for him to rest. To go out to pasture till his last days came.

Hiccup sighed and stared out across the empty plains, longing for the ability to run across them, to be free of all burdens.

He hardened his gaze and clenched his teeth, knowing that he had to find another horse. Cisco… Cisco deserved to retire. He'd been a gold old horse, and Hiccup knew that he deserved the best of treatment. And sometimes that just meant letting them go and live their life out without the ruckus of normal days.

He pushed himself to his feet, dusting himself off before heading back towards his home. With a heavy sigh, he knew he'd have to leave early tomorrow to go find himself a new steed.


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: _I'm back! Again, I'm updating a day early because I'm going on vacation this weekend and won't be here to post this. But I'm sure you guys don't mind, right? Earlier the better. XD_

 _Shotouts!_

thepurplewriter333- _Thank you so much Purffie! I'm glad you think the plots okay and won't be too boring… that's what I'm worried, about that it won't be entertaining. XD Especially the next few chapters… I'm not sure… we shall see! Lots of cutsie horsies though. :D And yes STOICK YOU CRUEL HEARTED IDIOT WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!?_

katurdi- _Yes Stoick YOU MONSTER! But neva fear! This chapter should make up for the sad feels ;) …somewhat anyways. XD_

DragonRider015- _THANK YOU! :D_

 _Hiccstridlover13- Don't worry my friend! I'm moving rather slow because after school, we usually go out of town for about two weeks. But as soon as we get back and settle in for the summer, I'll begin the other requested stories (I also have another AU up my sleeves hehe). But don't worry! I'm not quitting my canon stories. Thank you for the review!_

animalsarepeopletoo- _Thank you! Glad you got the feelsies haha. :D_

BlueBubblegumBubble- _Thank you! Yep, I have a love for horses and dragons, so this AU just seemed to be calling to me. XD Thank you for the review!_

Astrid E Lokison- _Poooor Hiccup. How I love to torture him. XD *maniacal laughter* But thank you for the review!_

Major Payne _– Supervisor- POOR Hiccup. XD Thanks for the review!_

Anonymous Noob the 2nd _\- Fun for us not so much for Hiccup, hehehe._

* * *

 **Chapter 2.**

Hiccup had never woken up sullener before in his life. He went to bed as silent as he'd ever been, not speaking a word to his father who'd been sitting in the study, and he'd woken up with his brain instantly fixing to the fact that today he wouldn't need to place that shiny badge into his pocket.

He rolled out of bed and dragged himself over to the dresser, sliding the drawer open before pulling out a cotton shirt and pair of trousers. He slowly got dressed, trying to keep himself from looking at the empty bedside table where he normally rested the small star. It would probably never rest on that table again.

Hiccup sighed heavily before grabbing his boots and pulling them on, snagging his hat on the way out the door. He glanced at the large clock in the hallway, moaning when he realized it was only five in the morning. He stretched and yawned before slouching drowsily, sluggishly making his way down the steps and into the kitchen.

He froze in place when he caught sight of his father's large form by the stove, his hands resting on the wooden frame that surrounded the coal black medal. Hiccup gulped and narrowed his eyes when the hot feeling of anger boiled in his stomach, one that was there for only a brief moment before it was replaced with grief.

He quietly turned about and headed for the door, hoping to escape before his father realized he was there… _wait_. Who was he kidding? Why would his Dad notice him anyways?

"Where are you going?" The gruff voice was deep and gravelly, either still in its morning tone or merely because Stoick was forcing himself to say the words. Either way, Hiccup didn't want to hear it.

He stopped, his hand only inches away from the knob and his fingers shaking as he fought the urge to run off, to disappear and escape that house as fast as possible. Hiccup took a deep breath, narrowing his eyes again to steady himself before turning about slowly.

"What did you say?" He asked lowly, surprising even himself at how deep his voice sounded. Last he knew he'd spoken high pitched and nasally, but in his anger… well, it was still nasally, but not nearly as high pitched. He actually sounded like a man and not like the boy he'd once been.

Stoick stiffened before also turning, now facing Hiccup with wide eyes. What, was he finally seeing the man his son had become? For a fleeting moment, Hiccup allowed hope to blossom in his chest.

Stoick blinked, the cup in his hand stilled and his expression going blank. Hiccup clenched his gloved fists impatiently, wondering if his father would finally spill and tell what was bothering him.

"Well? I have a lot to do today and I don't have time to stand here waiting-" Hiccup huffed, all fear of his father gone. Heck, he was free now. As it was Hiccup was tempted to run out of this town as soon as he had a steed under him.

"What're you doing today?" Stoick repeated, his face returning to its normal gruff and stern look- although it still remained expressionless. Hiccup allowed the disappointment to fill his heart once more as he slouched dejectedly.

"Finding a new horse." Hiccup whispered lowly. "Cisco's retired."

Stoick said nothing, just eyed Hiccup up and down, making the boy quite uncomfortable. After shifting from one foot to another, Hiccup finally decided to just leave. Or else his father might just stand and stare forever.

Without saying farewell, Hiccup spun on his heel and cranked the door open, giving it the slightest of slams on his leave. He stood in the doorway for a moment fuming, his mind running a mile a second before he took in a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment before trotting down the stairs and jogging down the path towards town. Pixie scuttled to her feet and bounded off after him, following close at his heels. He slowed his pace when coming closer to the corals, pausing to give a drowsy Cisco a scratch on the rump and then continuing on towards town.

His pace slowed until he was walking, his hands tucked into his pockets and Pixie walking leisurely beside him, her tail wagging with ever step. She tilted her head up at him, whining slightly before nudging his boot.

He bent down and rubbed her head then straightening up, letting out a depressed sigh before continuing on, hoping he'd reach the corals before the others got up.

He walked down an old ally way- a short cut he'd learned two years ago. He stepped up onto the wooden sidewalk, glancing up and down with a smile of relief when he only noticed three people. He turned and started walking towards the South part of town, where the newly broken horses were stabled.

He opened the stables door, giving Bucket and Mulch (the stable holders) a short greeting before heading towards the back, disappearing out the door and into the slightly sunny world outside.

He turned and eyed the two corals before him, noting the wild and the jumpy horses stomping in the restraints of the fence. He began walking slowly, Pixie keeping her vigil at his heels, giving any horse who dared to look their way wrong a little growl.

"And what are you doing here?"

"GOSH!" Hiccup exclaimed in alarm, spinning about and nearly toppling into a wheelbarrow of manure in his haste. He straightened himself and clutched his hat to his head, blinking when he noticed that the one who'd spoken was none other than the famed Horse Breaker:

Astrid Hofferson.

Hiccup automatically flushed red, and he felt the old habit of stuttering returning. For crying out loud, why did Astrid Hofferson have to make him stutter? It made him seem younger… and it made speaking so much more difficult.

"H-h-hey…" He murmured, taking a step back and dusting himself off distractedly. Pixie skipped forward and snuffled at Astrid's boots, giving them a little lick before jumping up onto the girl's knees.

Hiccup dared to peek out from under the brim of his hat, giving a bashful smile at the girl who was currently giving his dog soft pats on the head. She didn't look… happy per se… although she didn't look angry either.

"I said, what're you doing here?" She repeated impatiently, her… oh gosh… so blue eyes staring right into his…

"Uhm…" He felt his brain freeze up and his thinking process slowed to half it's normal working speed. "Er…"

Astrid rolled her eyes, "Looking for trouble?"

"A horse." He corrected, nodding his head towards the steeds stomping dust. "Cisco retired."

"Oh…" Came the uninterested answer. "Well, just don't rile them up. Took me all month to get five of them saddle broke."

 _What!? Only a month? This woman must know some sort of magic._

"Th-thanks…" He replied shakily, not hesitating to hurry past her and on to the large pen furthest away from the Hofferson. He watched her from the corner of his eyes, noticing how she stood for a moment more staring in his direction before slouching slightly, then turning and headed back towards the inside stables.

"So, Pix." The dog perked her ears, tilting her head while her tongue lolled out her mouth. "See any that look right for me?"

Pixie sneezed and Hiccup couldn't help but smile at the sight. The little dog stared up at him for a moment longer before shaking her head and trotting off.

"Guess not." Hiccup sighed and tucked his hands into his pockets again, glancing about at the many different breeds, colors, and sized horses about him.

He began wandering about, eyeing the horses carefully, noting that most were looking either bored or so reckless they threatened to break the boards of the fence. And none of them looked all that friendly to him… not that any looked mad or disgruntled either, just none that really found him interesting.

 _Kind of like the rest of the world_. He thought dismally before eyeing a paint mare who was nipping at short buffalo grass on the outskirts of a fence. He made his way over slowly, trying desperately not to spook the horse… but as soon as he came into touching distance the animal huffed angrily and jerked backwards, disappearing into the throng of horses gathered in the pen.

Hiccup sighed heavily and leaned his forearms against the top rail of the fence, giving his head a scratch under the crown of his hat as he stared at the newly broke horses before him.

Pixie rushed over and jumped onto his leg happily, giving his elbow frantic licks demanding for attention. Hiccup laughed and bent down to rub the dogs head playfully, Pixie's tongue lolling out the side of her mouth in her pleasure.

"Well…" he straightened up and gave a last glance at the horses, then began his way towards the stables. "I don't think I'll find any here. Maybe Gobber will let me borrow Grump, huh?"

Pixie yipped in agreement, rushing forward and pushing her way through the swinging door. Hiccup followed, ducking under the door frame before pausing to allow his eyes to adjust to the dimmer light.

He spotted Astrid and Bucket talking over by a stall, both leaning over and conversing about whatever it was residing there. Hiccup hurried past, not in any mood to talk- or, stutter, since Astrid was there.

"Find anything, Hiccup?" Mulch asked, leaning against the doorway while eyeing the young man. "Any horse that caught your eye?"

"I'm afraid not." Hiccup shook his head, inching slowly towards the door. "I-I might just borrow Grump from Gobber."

"But isn't that Gobber's only horse?"

"I said borrow."

Mulch nodded, and Hiccup took that as his sign to leave. He rushed outside, Pixie squeezing between the door and frame before escaping all together, hurrying after him.

Hiccup didn't pause once on his way to the Forge. Now there were people up and about, including the rougher people of Berk. Hiccup caught sight of a smirking Snotlout who was leaning against the hitching post outside the sheriff's office, the sight causing a sharp pang to puncture Hiccup's heart. He met Snotlout's gaze, Snotlout giving a smirk and puffing his chest even more, flashing the star pinned to his chest.

Hiccup ducked his head and continued on, not lifting his eyes from the ground till he stood before the forge's door.

"Why, there you are, laddie! Was beginning to think you'd never show up."

"I'm fifteen minutes late." Hiccup tries to quip- like he normally did- although it ended up coming out a bit dry. "Think I wouldn't show up to my favorite place?"

Gobber paused his work, eyeing his apprentice with softened eyes. "Aye… actually, I was more concerned that something had happened."

Hiccup understood, ever since that time several months ago when Hiccup got badly beaten up by out of towners, Gobber had been even more protective of him- more so then normal. Hiccup was extremely thankful for it, although Gobber did tend to be rather overbearing at times.

"No… I just had to walk all the way." Hiccup explained, stepping in further but not picking up any of the tools. "Uh, Gobber, would you mind if I had the day off?"

Gobber froze, his head quickly turning his way with a look of surprise on his face. "Day off? Why, certainly laddie… but what're you going to do with no work?"

"Get myself a horse." Hiccup stated. "I thought it was about time I let Cisco retire."

Gobber stared at him for a moment, then sighed and nodded his head. "I see what you mean. Horse is getting pretty old, ain't he?"

"Which brings me to question… would you mind if I borrowed Grump?"

"Grump?" Gobber furrowed his brows. "Now why-"

"I'm going to be riding out."

Gobber's face fell and his eyes widened. He snapped back to himself and waved his prosthetic arm at the boy standing before him, causing Hiccup to flinch and take a step back. "What're you doing riding out there!? You trying to wrangle a horse? You do know that stampeding a herd of horses by your self is the best and fastest way to get yourself killed… right!?"

Hiccup rolled his eyes and sidestepped about the big man, instead inching towards the back door where the small stable was kept for old Grump. "Gobber, please. I can do it-"

"Not many can- even the best." Gobber pointed out. "Normally five men go out to bring in the horses, not one boy with a half lame horse and a small dog."

Hiccup glared at him. "Grump isn't lame, Gobber."

"That's not the point!"

"I'm going." Hiccup tossed back angrily. "I have nothing left, Gobber! NOTHING! I need a horse- I…I…." He let his tone drop till it was the deep voice he'd used on his father that morning. "I need this… Gobber I…"

Hiccup looked away and blinked at the tears that stung his eyelids, but he refused to let them fall. He'd done enough crying last night to last him a life time, there was no need to add to the pile.

"What did your father do this time, lad?" Gobber asked quietly.

Hiccup shook his head, remaining silent as he slid his hand into his pocket and slowly withdrew it… empty.

"Odin." Came the hoarse whisper from behind him. "ODIN'S BEARD I'LL KILL HIM! I'M GOING RIGHT TO THAT OFFICE OF HIS AND BEAT SOME SENSE INTO-"

"Gobber, calm down!" Hiccup shouted above Gobber's ranting, effectively shutting the blacksmith up. "I-I'm over it." _Not_. And Hiccup was pretty sure Gobber knew that as well. "But… I really want to ride out and get my own horse. Do you know how much that'll help me?"

"Or hurt you." Gobber muttered gruffly. "What if-"

"Please, Gobber…" Hiccup begged, the thick silence that befell the building nearly suffocating. Please, why couldn't he just understand..?

"Fine." He mumbled. "But if you get hurt, don't tell me I didn't warn you!"

Hiccup tried to smile, "Thanks, Gobber."

He nodded and waved a hand at the door. "Get off with you- and don't spend the whole day out on the range. Have some fun too."

 _And how would I have fun outside the range? Here in town I'm just asking for trouble._

Hiccup hurried to the back, saddling up Grump as fast as humanly possible. As soon as that was done, he stepped back into Gobber's small kitchen and grabbed some jerky and several other items, seeing as how he'd missed breakfast.

Pixie tagged along for the ride, although Hiccup figured he'd tell her to go home once they came upon a herd. He didn't want her spooking any of the horses- and Pixie was of herding species, it was in her blood to chase those heels.

Grump wasn't as slow as Cisco, but he was slow and preferred to go at a lope. Hiccup allowed him, relaxing in the saddle as he kept a sharp eye out for any signs of wild horses.

Pixie suddenly came to a halt and lifted her head straight into the air, her entire body going rigid. She broke into run before dashing over a hill, barking madly and running as fast as her little legs would carry her.

Hiccup tapped his heels into Grump's side, the horse instantly jumping forward and taking off at a fast gallop. They sped over the hill and Hiccup couldn't help but let out a whoop of joy at the sight of a large herd of horses…

Darn it! They were all heading for the mountain and canyon range…

Hiccup leaned forward and Grump began moving faster, until they were tail to tail with the wild horses of the heard. Hiccup grabbed the lasso off the back of the saddle, hurriedly tying it to the saddle horn before taking the loop in his hand, adjusting it into just the right position and size and then lifting it and spinning it about.

Finally he got the right rhythm, and he tossed it at the first horse he saw- a dapple grey mare. His lasso missed by a hair, and he growled as he rolled it back in and started over.

Grump was practically running in the throng of horses now, making it harder to catch a horse- and it would be harder to stop it too. So, Hiccup forced the poor horse out of the crowd, instead running on the outskirts.

He took a deep breath and hoped for the best, this time just tossing the rope into the herd in hopes he'd catch something. To his surprise and joy the rope tightened and jerked, nearly dragging Grump to the ground.

The herd began to split as the horses tried to avoid the tightened rope and fallen horse, although Hiccup still had not caught sight of his catch. Pixie dashed bye, barking furiously and nipping at any horse who came near enough.

As the trail of horses began to sputter our, Hiccup noticed a flash of black on the ground. A black horse? This was his lucky day (and probably his only one), for those horses were rare. Especially if it was a true black.

The last several horses passed, and now all that was left was a cloud of dust and the slight signs and movements of a struggling horse. A sharp scream pierced the air, causing Grump to whinny in distress and back up his pace as he thought he should. Hiccup grabbed the reigns and calmed him down, glancing over at the wild horse on the ground with cautious eyes.

The dust settled, and Hiccup stared in absolute shock at the sight that met his eyes. That… that horse…

 _Oh my gosh, I just roped the Night Fury!_

"Wh-" Hiccup murmured, taking a step forward as though in a trance. The horse whipped its head about, snapping its teeth threateningly while kicking his legs. "Woah!" he jumped back just in time to escape an angry kick in the leg.

The Night Fury was lying on its side- which surprised Hiccup because by now any other horse would've gotten up and tried to escape. But he was just lying there, huffing and puffing, look angry and frustrated.

Hiccup stared at him in the eyes, never noticing before how the horse's eyes carried a slight neon green color if it hit the lighting just right until now. They were the most unique colored eyes he'd ever seen, and he couldn't tear his eyes away from the sight.

The horse barked again, struggling wildly with his legs before collapsing once more, sending what would've been a very hateful glare if he'd been human at the boy.

Hiccup snapped out of the trance, laughing happily and slowly walking in a circle, his hand digging in his hair. "O-oh this changes everything! I- I have brought down… the Night Fury! Oh… oh gosh, wait until Dad hears…"

Hiccup turned back to the horse before him, noticing with a tinge of pity how… how _dejected_ he looked. He looked broken, just lying there, still and unmoving, his eyes closed. Hiccup tiled his head to the side before slowing stepping forward, closer to the head then to the legs.

When he came within two feet of the animal, the Night Fury lunged shortly, but didn't hit the boy. Hiccup stared at the horse again, their eyes meeting…

Hiccup blinked and gave a little gasp, realizing what intrigued him so much about this horse.

This… _that_ look. It was pleading him, pleading him to let him remain unbroken and wild. To allow the horse to remain without a saddle on his back, without a bridle on his head.

To let him remain in the prairie's where he was free.

Hiccup gasped again, noting how… how similar _he_ felt. He wanted to be free, unbridled and left to the prairie's. If he'd been this horse… he'd most definitely not want to be broke.

Heck, if he'd been _any_ horse, he wouldn't want to be broke.

He stared several moments more, then without giving it a second thought, he grabbed his pocket knife out of his back pocket and unfolded it. He jerked the knife against the taut rope of his lasso, instantly snapping it in two.

The horse stumbled for a moment, but instantly clambered to his feet. The rope about his neck slid off and hit the ground, and Hiccup backed up several paces in anticipation for the horse to gallop away.

But to his utter disbelief and surprise, the horse paused, his head low to the ground and huffing, his eye still directed towards the young man before him. With a small falter, he took one step forward, before letting out that inhuman scream that sent Hiccup's ears ringing and his head spinning, then all in a black whir the wild horse spun about and was gone in a cloud of dust.

Hiccup didn't even register the horse had disappeared until several minutes later, when his hearing was beginning to return and his brain had comprehended what had just happened. Hiccup's heart was beating faster than it ever had before, threatening to pound its way out of his chest.

"Gosh…" Hiccup whispered. "Grump-did you see that?"

Hiccup turned to where he'd last left Grump standing, giving a small start when he realized the horse was no longer there. He turned and sighed in relief at the sight of the horse standing several feet away, still looking spooked and frightened .

Hiccup got to his feet, dusting himself off before turning and walking shakily to the borrowed horse. He paused and leaned against Grump's quivering hide, feeling his own self shiver in excitement and disbelief.

 _He'd roped the Night Fury…_

 _And he'd just let it go._

* * *

A/N: _To be continued…_


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3.**

It was just Hiccup's luck that he arrived back in Berk during the morning rush- the time where people were up and on the move towards their business's or out and about doing chores and errands. Hiccup hated this time of day- or at least, he hated this time of day to be out in the ruckus. It was the most common time where he'd get picked out and "roughed up".

He hunched into the saddle, wishing he could gallop Grump all the way to the Forge but knowing that in the chaos of wagons and riders, it wouldn't be safe. He just held on tight to the reigns, form rigid and taught as he stared out cautiously from under his Stetson.

"Hey, Useless!" Hiccup flinched at the words, but couldn't help but let his eyes swivel over to the source, already knowing who he'd see. Snotlout was leaning against a support beam of the sheriff's office, the sight of the familiar building sending a sharp pain racing through Hiccup's heart. He gulped and looked away, refusing to meet the smug look on his cousin's face.

"Useless!" came the call again, but Hiccup stubbornly ignored it, pulling his Stetson a bit lower over his eyes to avoid the glances cast his way. His mind was fixed on something else anyways… a wild mustang that had let him live.

A hand suddenly grabbed his arm, surprising him so much he didn't even have time to struggle before he was dragged off Grump. The horse gave a snort and short whinny of shock at having his rider jerked off so quickly, so he spooked and broke into a gallop towards the Forge.

Hiccup snapped out of his stupor and began kicking and writhing in the hands that grasped him, forcing his arms to twist behind his back and a hand grabbed his hair, knocking his hat to the ground as his captor pushed his head down to muffle his cries of alarm.

"Shut up." Came a hiss, and Hiccup instantly knew without a doubt what Snotlout intended to do. Hiccup struggled harder, jerking against the strong grip and wincing at the pain the motion caused his twisted arms.

He was dragged away, and although he couldn't see clearly due to his jaw being pressed against his chest, he knew when they'd escaped the streets and were in the alleyway. He struggled weakly, bewildered by how someone five inches shorter then him could take him down so easily.

He was shoved to the floor, head bouncing on the ground as he gave a muffled groan of pain. A boot landed hard against his ribs, causing him to cry out and curl into himself, arms wrapping about his torso.

"Well, snarky, looks like Daddy's finally realized that you're worthy of dirt, aye?" Came Snotlout's cruel sneer, the words causing tears to prick Hiccup's eyes- that and the pain. He was certain one of his ribs had been broken, at the least cracked.

He kicked a leg out at Snotlout's shin, nearly sending the teen tumbling to the ground but thanks to the wall of the stables, he caught himself. Hiccup kicked out again, this time Snotlout jumping to the side and narrowly missing a heal to his ankle.

"You little-" Snotlout growled as he lunged, tackling Hiccup to the ground as the boy squirmed and fought to push the heavier teen off. And although Hiccup was stronger, Snotlout had an advantage of being heavier and bulkier, easily pinning the leaner boy to the ground

"Snotlout!" Hiccup wheezed, fumbling to find the new deputy's gun. "Gid off…"

"I'm not letting you escape!" Snotlout twisted around and jerked Hiccup's arms behind his back before shoving Hiccup forward, crashing the boy's head against the rough gravelly ground. Hiccup hissed and blinked dizzily into the dirt, feeling the sticky substance leaking down his hair and into his eyes.

"You're worth nothing!" Snotlout shouted, using a fist to punch Hiccup between the shoulder blades. He gasped and squeezed his eyes shut, back arching in agony. "Nothing but a useless mistake!"

Hiccup tried to roll over, but found that the throbbing ache in his back had paralyzed his movements, and he felt himself too feeling weak from pain. He huffed for air, finding it difficult to breathe due to the stabbing rib and throb of his spine.

"Useless! You deserve to be trampled-" Snotlout was rambling, almost incoherently as he angrily punched Hiccup's shoulder, causing the boy to flinch and try to move away. Snotlout flipped Hiccup over, pinning him down as he began to punch the boy in the chest and face.

Hiccup found breathing almost impossible, and his sight was streaking red as he struggled for air. Snotlout was relentless, layering punch after punch until Hiccup had lost count of how many times he'd been hit.

Through his daze, Hiccup faintly heard a vicious growl and a bark, before the pressure on his chest disappeared, allowing him to breathe at least a bit easier, although his ribs screamed protests with each expand of his chest. Hiccup heaved for air, rolling onto his side as he coughed and gagged. The barks and growls continuing faintly in the background of his fuzzy hearing.

"What in tarnation!" Came a feminine but angry shout. There was the sound of hurried footsteps, faint barking… then hands grabbing his shoulders and rolling him onto his back.

He struggled weakly, trying to roll away but the hands held tight. He gave up, squeezing his eyes shut tighter in preparation for the pain that was bound to come.

"You sure know how to get into trouble!" Came a rough voice, but the hands gripping him were gentler then he would've thought… unless the voice belonged to someone else. He had no idea, all he knew was that he hurt, and he hurt bad.

"Sorry, sorry…" Hiccup murmured repeatedly.

"Oh hush." An arm wrapped around his shoulder before he was hauled up into a sitting position, the movement causing Hiccup's head to spin and his vision blur uncontrollably when he peeked through his eyelashes.

"Where should I take you? The Forge?"

 _The Forge? What were they asking…?_

He forced himself to open his eyes, blinking across into the last face he'd expected to see. He double blinked, wondering if he'd hit his head so hard he was delusional.

Astrid's forehead was puckered in what could've passed off as a concerned expression, but Hiccup wasn't sure if it was concern or anger. He backed up a bit, ramming against the wall with a groan as his bruised back met hard wood.

"Hey, take it easy." Astrid said, grabbing his arms and holding him steady. "Snotlout's a real jerk, I don't know why Sherriff made him a deputy."

Hiccup flinched, but she didn't seem to notice. She merely stood up straight, Pixie trotting up behind her and stepping forward to lick Hiccup's face, the dog's tongue finding the bloody trail down from his hair and into his eye and cheek. Hiccup moaned and tried to push her away as gently as possible, but the dog was determined to do her best to clean up the human to the best of her ability.

"Pix…" Hiccup said, voice gravelly and even more nasally than normal. "Girl… I-I'm okay…."

"Could've fooled me." Astrid snorted. She bent down again, her arm wrapping about his rigid shoulders before pulling him to his feet, the poor boy so surprised he nearly stumbled forward flat on his face.

"I-I'm f-fine… don't need your help…" He mumbled, and his cheeks would've been crimson had he not been so pale from the pain and shock. He tried to pull away, but found himself unable to… and in all honesty, he wanted to stay in her arms. Even if they weren't as kind or loving as they could be, they were still warm and willing to help- something he'd never _ever_ gotten from anyone- other than Gobber.

"You're injured." Astrid stated plainly, turning towards the back alleyway which ran behind all the buildings. "There's no way you can make it to the Forge on your own."

"I have… have Pixie…" Hiccup protested weakly, leaning heavily against the girl.

"And as willing as I'm sure your dog is, I doubt she can drag a 130-pound man all across town." Was that a bit of friendly teasing he heard in her voice? Or was she just being overly sarcastic about his weight?

Hiccup found himself amazed by how much taller he was then her, topping her by a good four inches. He smiled to himself, dazedly relishing in that small fact. She hadn't seemed to notice it, but he wasn't bothered… it was a plain fact and it was one he was proud of. He was now taller than Astrid Hofferson.

"He sure got you good." She mumbled, practically dragging him along while Pixie trotted alongside, gentle eyes soft with worry.

"I…I've had worse…" Hiccup whispered. All his energy was gone, as though having been sucked out of him in one cruel moment. He hated himself for being so weak- especially in front Astrid. Talk about embarrassing, and the name Useless really seemed appropriate for this situation.

"You have?" Astrid seemed surprised by this fact, bewildering Hiccup even further by the actual gentleness in her voice. Well, it wasn't exactly gentle, but it definitely wasn't the same tough and rough voice she'd always used on him, so he took it as progress. Either that, or she was just curious.

"Has… ha-happened before…" He muttered, glancing down before realizing in alarm that his hat was missing. "Go-gosh… my hat! I left… out in the street Snotlout knocked it off, I…"

"Oh for crying out loud." Astrid rolled her eyes, "You were almost beaten to death, and yet here you are worrying about your gosh darned hat?"

"It's… it's the only one I have…" Hiccup wheezed defensively. "Besides, I can't just walk ar-around town with-without a hat on!"

"I do that almost every day." Astrid replied, and it was only then that Hiccup noticed that all she wore was her headband, Stetson gone and replaced by that flaxen golden hair.

"B-but you're a…" Hiccup decided not to finish that thought when she gave him a warning glare, as though daring him to finish that thought. "N-never mind…"

"You'd better learn something, pal. I'm no girl. I'm just as tough and able as any of you 'men'. Got that?" The words carried venom, hot and angry, and Hiccup nodded in reply, knowing them to be true.

"I-I know… never ha-have thought you any-anything different…" He murmured apologetically. "Sorry…"

She tightened her grip and stared straight ahead, giving her head a little flick to cast aside her bangs. "A lot of men do." She growled.

"Th-then they're… muttonheads…" Hiccup rasped, finding breath difficult again. "I me-mean… I guess I can see why th-they think you more… more like other girls… because you're really…" He gulped and hurried to finish, afraid that if he hesitated any longer he'd chicken out. "…pr-pretty and… stuff, but really, you're tougher than most men… that including me."

She was quiet, the silence almost deafening as Hiccup feared she'd stop and dump him in the dirt and turn around and leave. Anyone else would, so it wouldn't surprise him. His hopes had just been sky rocketed by her fleeting moment of seeming-to-careness… but he should've known better.

"Thanks." She grumbled, shifting her arm around his shoulders. "You're the first guy I've heard say that before."

Hiccup didn't know how to respond to that, so just resolved with a smile, although she didn't see it. Her gaze was fixed on their destination, so Hiccup just slumped and allowed her to help him to the back doorway.

"Here." She let go of him, he stumbling forward to lean heavily against Grump's empty stall.

"Th-thanks…" He said embarrassedly. "S-sorry to b-bother you."

"Nah. It was good to get away from Bucket's rambling." It was an excuse- untrue and Hiccup knew it- but that fact only made him happier. She'd just lied to make him feel better… when was the last time someone had done _that?_

They just stared at each other for a moment, and Hiccup had a quick thought of telling her what had happened just hours before. Telling her about the Fury, telling her how he'd roped it and let it go…

But the moment it entered his brain it left. He knew that if he told her, she wouldn't believe him anyways. Not only that, but she held a grudge to the Night Fury, and Hiccup- again to his surprise- didn't really want anything to happen to that wild horse…

"Well, see ya then." Astrid finally said awkwardly, turning on her heal and trotting towards the stables. Pixie yipped a goodbye, then sat down at Hiccup's feet, grinning up at him with her tongue lolling out of her mouth.

"That… that w-was…" Hiccup blinked, and held his side painfully, still staring in shock at Astrid's receding form. "What just happened, Pix?"

The dog just stared at him in confusion, then stood up and walked in the open doorway. Hiccup stared a moment longer before following, limping inside the heated building.

There was sharp clanging coming from the front, but Hiccup hung back to try and scrounge up some medical supplies. Finally, he landed his hands on a roll of bandages at the bottom of an old barrel, pulling them out with a relieved smile before grabbing the small bottle of medical alcohol and limping to the table, collapsing in a chair before assessing the worst of his injuries.

At the scrape of his chair against the wooden floor, Pixie gave a bark of alarm. Hiccup shook his head and quickly hushed her, but already the clanging from the Forge had come to an abrupt halt, alerting him that Gobber had heard Pixie's panic.

"Pixie? That you?" He called out, the sound of shuffling in the dirt telling Hiccup that the Blacksmith was coming back. In a frantic attempt to hide his disheveled state, he made a made haste towards the door, but with his injuries he only managed a little whine of pain before slumping back into his chair.

"Hiccup? Lad, what happened?" Gobber's voice was tight as he lumbered forward, standing before his apprentice and laying a hand on his shoulder. "Hiccup?"

"It…It was j-just Snot…" Hiccup replied softly, hand tightening around his torso. "I'm fine… just a little care and I'll be back to my normal self."

"You certainly don't look it." Gobber scoffed, pulling up a chair and pulling the bandages from his hand. "Let me, you don't know how to take care of yourself."

"Do to." Hiccup replied, giving Gobber a half-hearted glare. "…but, thanks."

"It's true, laddie." Gobber motioned for Hiccup to pull off his shirt, which he did with slow motions so as not to stretch his tender chest. Gobber winced at the sight of the bruises already starting to form, but didn't hesitate to grab the rubbing alcohol and a bottle of cream and smear them over the wounds. "You almost die, and the least you do is wrap them up- clumsily I might add- then pass it off as nothing."

" _I'm_ nothing, Gobber. So what are my wounds?" He muttered sarcastically with a roll of his eyes.

Gobber's head snapped up, and he glared at the young man harshly. "Don't you say that."

Hiccup fell silent, letting Gobber finish administering aid. His head stung as the alcohol was rubbed into the wound in his hair, Gobber pressing a bandage over the cut after placing some sticky substance on it to keep it in place.

"There… he really got you good this time."

"As I was told."

"And who told you? Pixie?" the dog perked up, smiling happily with a wag of her fluffy tail.

Hiccup sighed shakily. "No… A-Astrid found me. Helped me here."

There was dead silence before Gobber shifted and ducked into Hiccup's line of vision, eyes wide with disbelief and joy. "You're not joshin'!?" he exclaimed. "That's… that's great, Hiccup! Maybe you'll get that girl yet."

"She was just taking pity on a useless boy who couldn't even defend himself." Hiccup muttered forelorningly, all joy of having Astrid talk and speak to him without anger fading away. Of course… he should've seen it. She'd just felt sorry for his weak behind after getting pummeled by a bully.

"You've gotta stop seeing things so negatively!" Gobber scolded, getting to his feet and grabbing some food out of the cooler. "Astrid doesn't just help someone because she 'feels sorry' for them. She's tough, and believes others should be equally so. She helps you, and you know that you're in the clear."

Hiccup blinked at the words, staring unseeingly at the floor. He direly hoped Gobber's words were right, but somehow… he seriously doubted it. Astrid was the amazing horse wrangler, while he was just the weak Blacksmith's apprentice who couldn't do a thing right- who wasn't even worthy of being an deputy.

He knew then, that if he ever wanted to prove himself worthy of Astrid, worthy of his Dad… worthy of _anyone_ , he had to find that Night Fury and take it down.

And this time, he wouldn't let it go.

* * *

 _I apologize for the long wait and the short chapter… but you got some Hiccstrid, so yay to that right? :D_

 _To be continued… *wiggles eyebrows* what shall happen next?_


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4.**

It wasn't until late that evening that Hiccup found time to escape the forge. It was probably for the best, for by this time of day the temperature had dropped to a more bearable degree, one that sent a smooth cool breeze whistling through the prairies to cool off the sun-dried land.

Gobber remained careful and quiet the rest of the day, not saying much of anything although some gentle looks were cast in Hiccup's direction. Hiccup had insisted on helping out, saying he was fine enough to at least organize the messy storage room and to resize some metal shoes.

"Take it easy, won't you lad?" Gobber had murmured before giving Hiccup a small clap on the back, eyeing him worriedly while Hiccup gave a small smile of reassurance.

"When don't I?"

Gobber snorted, "Just… careful, all right? And take Grump. Don't want you walking by yourself."

Hiccup didn't bother to remind the blacksmith that even with Grump he was still in plenty of danger. But he whistled for Pixie and just hoped that the dog would provide a bit more protection- and if not protection, at least comfort. She had scared off Snotlout earlier- with the help of Astrid- so perhaps she could fend off another.

"See you tomorrow, Gobber." Hiccup called out, slowly clambering aboard Grump's back with a little grunt of discomfort. His chest tugged painfully, his sore ribs protesting at every movement he made.

"Tomorrow." Gobber agreed with a nod of his head. Hiccup picked up the reigns and wheeled Grump about, Pixie yipping as she took of following.

Grump was rather disgruntled when Hiccup directed him towards the outskirts of town, off the worn path to the Sherriff's house. After a few tugging fights, Grump relented and trotted aimlessly out of town and towards the endless land. Pixie scurried ahead, barking up pheasants and rabbits from their burrows, while Hiccup just enjoyed the ride, eyes sharp and hands fingering the lasso wrapped about the saddle horn.

"Pix." Hiccup whistled, the dog's head shooting up straight and ears at the ready. "Night Fury, girl."

Pixie's tongue lolled out, before she barked excitedly and took off into the grass, head to the ground and tail in the air. Hiccup and Grump followed close behind, Hiccup watching both Pixie and Grump intently for signs of other wildlife.

It was nearing the time for the sun to dip behind the hills when Hiccup was about to deem it time to return home. They were a good fifteen miles out, and it would be long past dark when they arrived back in town, not to mention Grump was huffing in exhaustion.

"Pixie." Hiccup called, but the dog dove ahead in the brush, nearing the small dried canyon ahead. Hiccup held Grump back, the horse more than willing to stop for a breather.

"Pixie!" Hiccup shouted, groaning when the dog continued running, barking and jumping until she vanished down into the canyon.

Hiccup was about to call out once more, but a loud piercing scream halted him. Grump half reared in shock and fear, skidding to the side and jolting Hiccup's left leg from the saddle.

With a hiss, he slid to the ground, allowing Grump to gallop off while he watched on in despair. He sighed heavily, flinching when the scream emanated again, along with the wild barks of a dog that Hiccup knew all too well.

He rolled over and stumbled to his feet, arms wrapped around his aching ribs as he carefully made his way to the edge of the canyon, peering down into the bowl like cove cautiously. To his amazement and joy, he saw the signs of a black horse backed against one wall. His eyes flitted about, noticing how one side had rocks crumpled, as did another area. It looked like the horse had tried escaping- but had failed, if the loose dirt and large stones were any indication.

"Night Fury…" Hiccup whispered, gaze once again returning to the wild horse that was pressed against the wall in the shadows. To his surprise, he noticed that the horse was lying on its side, legs kicking at the small shape of Pixie who was barking fiercely.

Hiccup scooted closer, then with a little push he slid down into the surprisingly green canyon. The winter must've treated it well, for the old deep lake was nearly completely dry- yet still had enough moisture for green vegetation- with only a small pond of water in the middle. Still deep enough that it looked like it would hold out for most of the summer, which surprised Hiccup. He hadn't known this oasis was even here.

The horse screamed again, sending shivers of fear running up and down Hiccup's spine. Pixie barked louder, the sounds ringing over and over in the canyon as the echoes traveled on and on for what seemed to be forever.

"Pixie!" Hiccup shouted, holding out a hand as the dog gave a distracted look his way. "Come here girl!"

With one last yip, she took off and dashed over to where he was crouched, jumping into his lap and licking his face furiously. Hiccup whispered words of praise, then pushed the dog away and patted her head, ordering her to stay.

"Lay down, Pix." The dog did so, looking unwilling but listening none the less. With one last pat, Hiccup turned about and stood up a bit straighter, still hunched over for fear of frightening the Night Fury.

He inched forward, moving at snail's pace for fear of appearing frightening or overpowering to the terrified animal. The horse shrieked, legs kicking again as it's jaw snapped angrily.

"Shh…" Hiccup soothed, holding out his palms in a smooth gesture. "I-it's alright… I'm not going to hurt you…"

The horse didn't look convinced, in fact, it looked even angrier at the words. With more thrashing which seemed to get it nowhere in the tangle of vines dangling above, the horse whinnied and screamed desperately.

"Sh, seriously, I'm not gonna-" Hiccup had barely enough time to lunge to the side as a hoof swung out, narrowly missing clipping him in the head.

"Geez! Take it easy, fella…" Hiccup murmured, picking himself up hurriedly before ducking backwards and out of range of the hooves. He leaned back, holding as still as possible while watching the horse and hoping that if he didn't move… it would calm down sooner.

Sure enough, the horse's legs ceased to a standstill, and soon the only sound that filled the canyon was the sound of the Night Fury's heavy breathing. Hiccup bit his lip, eyeing the horse carefully for signs as to why it hadn't charged, and why it wasn't standing and trampling him like he expected it to.

He caught sight of the trouble almost instantly, giving a little gasp at the unpleasant sight. The horse's back left leg was cut deftly, blood smearing over fur and crusting angrily about the bright wound. It ran at a slant down the horse's foreleg, deep enough that Hiccup thought he spotted white amongst the swollen flesh.

"Dang…" Hiccup muttered, looking up into the horse's wild and half white eyes. "That must hurt a bit, huh?"

To his surprise, the horse merely snorted, eyes sliding shut as he slumped-as though in defeat. Hiccup hesitated, rather shocked by this turn of events. With a gulp, he hesitantly scooted forward, slowly extending a hand out in front of him cautiously.

"I-I mean it…" Hiccup whispered, eyes locked with the vibrant almost green hue of the wild mustang before him. "I won't hurt you…"

 _Oh gosh, his hand was mere inches away from touching his flank…_

The horse gave a shudder when Hiccup's fingers touched his skin, and at the sharp movement of the Night Fury's hide, Hiccup withdrew, afraid of moving too quickly.

"I-I can help." Hiccup whispered again. "Your leg… It needs to be wrapped up. Stitched would be better…"

The horse's nostrils flared and his eyes flew open, no longer white with fear, but completely consumed by their natural color. He stared at the boy, the gaze sending Hiccup into a fit of shudders.

"Hey, stop looking at me like I'm about to kill you." Hiccup grumbled. "I'm not, if that's what you're worried about."

The horse growled and rumbled warningly, before shifting and rolling over onto his side completely, letting his legs extend before him. His left foreleg was completely exposed now, so Hiccup took the chance to very carefully move closer. He moved slowly, letting the horse see his every move and gesture. He reached down and slowly ripped off the lower part of his flannel shirt, until he had a long strip. With that, he hoped he'd be able to tie the horses leg as well as possible.

"Okay, don't kill me, alright?" The horse snorted again, nearly causing Hiccup to jump out of his skin.

With a deep steady breath, he moved forward and gently placed his hand on the Night Fury's leg. The horse flinched noticeably, but didn't pull away immediately. Hiccup sighed in relief, before taking in the wound with concern, not liking the amount of blood pooling from the wound.

"Steady…" Hiccup said soothingly, letting go of the leg to move over to the pond. "I just need some water to clean it with, okay? I won't do anything else…"

He tugged out his canteen from underneath his vest, unscrewing the cap and dunking it under the water. He watched as the bubbles rose to the surface, reflecting his face in the shiny half orbs. He glanced away, jerking the canteen out of the water as he hurried away from the water.

Hiccup looked up, the horse's mouth parting as its eyes landed on the still dripping canteen longingly. Hiccup tilted his head, wondering how long the horse had gone in the stifling heat without water.

"Thirsty, bud?"

If the horse was human, he would've frowned. With a snort it looked away, defiantly denying offers for help. Hiccup shrugged, and moved closer once again.

He crouched in a position that would allow him to skip aside should he need to without a moment's notice. He bit his lip again, looking up worriedly as he began dumping the cool water over the wound.

As he expected, the horse kicked and lunged towards him, screaming furiously. With a shout of fear Hiccup leapt away from the angry animal, landing heavily on his backside with a grunt.

"I told you!" Hiccup said, gesturing wildly in hopes of coming it down. "I'm not going to hurt you!"

The horse didn't seem convinced, for it continued to growl at Hiccup threateningly, until it deemed Hiccup far away enough to no longer cause trouble. With that, it let out one last snort before turning and beginning to lick at the wound.

Hiccup tilted his head in surprise, not expecting to see the horses gaping teeth which were unnaturally out of place. There should be two more toward the back of the mouth… and he puckered his brow in confusion.

It hit him like a freight train, and his eyes widened in horror. A bit. That's the only thing that could do such damage to a horse's mouth. He stared, disgusted by the thought that anyone would tug so hard on a horse's bridle that it would yank teeth out of its mouth…

"You've had a hard time at it…" Hiccup whispered aimlessly, not realizing he was speaking until the words were already spoken. "No wonder you hate us so… Toothless…"

The horse lifted its head, ears pricked forward and eyes wide- surpassingly soft and gentle. Hiccup ducked his head, not wanting his staring to make the animal nervous.

"I'm sorry." Hiccup shuddered. "I mean, this is all our fault. Humans, and… somehow, I have a feeling that that happened while you were in Berk a few years back. Remember?"

Toothless whirred quietly.

Hiccup huffed, "I'm sure you do. Berk… ugh, not a kind place to be."

Toothless lifted his head more, ears directed in his direction and mouth parted slightly as he whinnied quietly. Hiccup looked up, surprised by the gentleness of it all. He'd never seen this horse so quiet- so… calm.

"We've got something similar, you and I." Hiccup went on, feeling his heart fill with the meaning of it all. He was surprised the horse was listening- or it appeared to be anyways. It made his heart sing, yet fill with grief as well. Grief of the past few days- no, the past few _years_ … his entire life, where all he knew was rejection.

"Only you're wanted- and I'm not." Hiccup finished lamely. "Everyone wants you, while me- I'm worth less then dirt." He practically spat the words, anger rushing through his veins as he narrowed his eyes. "Yet- we're both treated like crap. Somehow it doesn't seem fair."

Toothless growled, and for a moment Hiccup thought he was angry at him again. But one look at the horse told him differently. He was looking off towards the wall, eyes hard and steely, stance tense. It was almost as though he'd growled in agreement more than anger.

"I have a feeling it's not going to get any better…" Hiccup murmured, hunching up again by pulling his knees to his chest. "I sometimes think… leaving would just be the best. Disappear, find somewhere new… no one would care anyways."

Toothless turned and whinnied shrilly, head turning and ducked before he jolted to his feet. Hiccup stumbled backwards with a yelp of surprise, not expecting the horse to stand.

"U-uh…" Hiccup stuttered, backing up until his back hit against a large stone. He froze, staring up at the horse in fear as he curled as small as he possibly could. "I-I…"

The horse bent its neck, nose inches away from Hiccup's face. Hiccup stared up in terror, waiting for the fatal paw of a hoof that would push him into the abyss.

With a heavy limp, Toothless took another step forward with a grunt. Hiccup held as still as possible, holding his breath as he waited for what would come next.

 _I'm dead_. Was the only thought running through his mind.

With a light huff that sprayed Hiccup's face with hot air, Toothless leaned forward, soft nose grazing Hiccup's forehead. Hiccup shuddered, not certain what to expect. Was this horse going to bite his head off?

Then, Toothless withdrew with a low rumble. Hiccup stared in disbelief as the horse slowly turned around, swatting Hiccup in the face with his tail before he once again dropped to his belly with a grunt.

Hiccup stared, blinking owlishly as he wondered what had just happened. After minutes of catching his breath, he slowly got to his feet. He glanced down at the cloth still clutched in his hands, he stepped forward, bending down to tie it around the wound in hopes to staunch the bleeding.

Toothless didn't even flinch.

"I-I'll… I'll be back tomorrow…" Hiccup muttered, backing up quickly before stumbling over towards Pixie. "Uh… yeah…"

He lunged up, arms grappling on a root jutting out of the wall. He pulled himself up until he was lying on his belly upon the soft buffalo grass, gasping for breath and still dazed from the experience.

 _What the heck just happened?_

He glanced back and whistled for Pixie, who instantly jumped to her feet and bounced out of the canyon in one graceful leap. Hiccup patted the dogs head playfully, giving one last look at the horse in the cove before stumbling to his feet and staring back towards town, realizing with a deflated groan that he had a long walk ahead of him.

* * *

 _A/N: Ugh, my deepest apologies for such a short and boring chapter. I'm so bad at these fillers._

 _And also, to all me followers, if you noticed on my profile it said almost all my upcoming stories are on hold, is because I'm really into AU's at the moment. I'm sorry, but that's what I'm into, so my multi-chapter canon verse stories are on hold until the new season of RTTE comes out. Then I'll pick them up again. :) But at the moment, I'm just going to focus on this story, and another AU I'm working on that I'm really looking forward to writing. (The summary is on my profile) I want to prewrite it, and I've already got nearly four chapters written. So we'll see how this goes. :D (Thank you harrypanther for getting me into AU's. XD Love yours btw!)_

 _Thank you for reading, next chapter will be longer and will be more interesting. Also, reviews are greatly appreciated. Thanks and see ya next chapter!_


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5.**

Next morning started out stuffy and humid, and Hiccup knew that the weather would not favor him that day in the Forge. It was hot enough as it was, the weather did not need to add to it.

Upon arriving, Gobber was already walking around with no shirt (and this was the other reason why Hiccup hated warm summer days) and was still sweating up a storm. He grumbled something about the weather, but once catching sight of his apprentice he smiled widely and tossed a joke his way. Hiccup laughed, then went to the back room to grab the tools he needed. There was already a horse in line for shoeing.

His plan was simple. Work until Gobber said he could go "home", then he'd go to barn and get a bucket of feed and ride out to see the Night Fury. Simple as that. But somehow his plans never seem to be allowed to go as arranged. He was certain that someone up there was determined for him not to have a good day.

"Gobber!"

The deep loud voice instantly had Hiccup's head snapping up towards the doorway, where the shadow of Stoick wavered and loud footsteps echoed. Hiccup's heartbeat picked up the pace, and before he allowed it to break one of his ribs he scooped up his tools and medal work and rushed into the back room, leaving Gobber to tend to his father.

"Aye, I'm right in here Stoick! No need to let the whole town know your horse is missing a shoe."

Hiccup sighed heavily, leaning against the wall and slumping in defeat. He was a coward. Hiding from his own father!

But he merely shook his head and instead walked to the anvil, where he sprawled out a horseshoe and picked up the pounding to shape it just right for the horse waiting in the stall. He tried to ignore the murmuring from the other room, the loud clanging he was making halting the voices from being heard.

He nearly had a heart attack when the sound of boots against wood came from the doorway. Hiccup started, ceasing the hammer and instead turning to stare nervously at his Dad.

Stoick stared back, eyes wide and flitting from the heavy anvil hammer to Hiccup's shape. He blinked owlishly, which caused Hiccup to snort and easily toss the hammer aside.

"What? Never seen me work in the Forge before?" Hiccup scoffed, the words cutting through the air like a knife. He shot a glare at his father, fear gone and fury replaced. He knew those words were true. His father hadn't bothered to come see his own son work- well, not since a few years ago. Since then Hiccup always escaped to the back room when his father arrived.

Stoick coughed, looking away regretfully as he shook his head. "Uh- I… I came in here to apologize."

Hiccup's anger dissipated just as fast as it had come. He stared at Stoick in disbelief, worrying that he was indeed going crazy and had just imagined the words.

"What?" He whispered in shock.

Stoick shifted uncomfortably, as though the whole situation had him on edge. His gaze flitted about the room, going anywhere but Hiccup's face.

"I came to apologize." He mumbled.

"Gobber put you up to this."

"No- but he did speak to me. Told me that you've been… down ever since."

Hiccup shook his head in anger, placing his hand against the wood frame of the anvil. "And since when did you care!?"

The two Haddock's stared at each other defiantly, until Stoick lowered his voice so low it was almost a growl. "I'm your father. And I merely came her to say I'm sorry about the badge."

"Gobber told you to." Hiccup forced through gritted teeth.

"No, he didn't!" Stoick shot back. "I came back here on my own, young man, so don't you talk back like that!"

Hiccup shook his head and took a step forward to the sheriff, shaking his head as he thumped his finger against Stoick's chest. "I don't believe you."

Stoick narrowed his eyes. "Fine." He said deeply, before turning and ducking out the door. Hiccup's eyes followed him out, glare like fire and his anger rising. With an angry shout, he kicked at the small table, sending it to the floor with a small crash as a pottery cup shattered into pieces.

"Laddie!?"

Hiccup's breathing was labored, but he fought to get it under control as he answered shakily, "I'm fine, Gobber. Just- working."

Once the sound of the Forge picked up, Hiccup stumbled to the far wall and slumped on the floor, arms on his knees and head against his arms. He forced himself not to cry like a child, but it was darned hard. He only looked up when a small tongue licked his fingers, the sound of a worried whine reaching Hiccup's ears.

He glanced up and smiled slightly at the sight of Pixie's worried face. The dog yipped and leapt forward to lick his face repeatedly, Hiccup laughing and hugging the dog in return.

"I don't think he'll ever understand." Hiccup murmured against her fur. "Do you know this was the first time he's seen me in the Forge… since two years ago?"

Pixie whined sadly.

"I don't get… why a father would ever do that to his own kid." Hiccup shook his head, before taking a deep breath and hauling himself to his feet. "I'd better get back to work- I'd really like to get off early today."

Pixie tilted her head, before shaking her head furiously and sneezing. Hiccup laughed again and ruffled the dog's ears before turning back to the anvil and returning to the molding.

…

By the time Hiccup left the Forge, he was nothing but a sweaty mess. He had ended up following Gobber's suggestion by taking his shirt off, but somehow that only made it worse. Either way, in the end he was nothing but a slimy mess, one that indirectly changed his plans to go for a swim at the cove.

He ducked out into the alleyway and once again saddled Grump, but didn't jump aboard immediately. He instead walked down the alleyway, having realized that Grump had a tendency to spook at some of the slightest things, and he didn't fancy to fall again. Grump had tossed him more times in three days than Hiccup had been tossed in all his life.

Hiccup stumbled when his boot nicked a crate- and would've fallen- had some large burly shape not been in the way to stop him. Both men let out a startled yelp, jumping away from each other before they realized who the other was.

Hiccup stared at his old friend, smiling slightly with a tilt of his head. "Hey Fish."

Dang, Fishlegs had matured. No longer that baby faced teen he once knew- no. This guy was burly, and even had a bit of scruff on his chin. It was then that Hiccup realized with a double-check that he'd passed Fishlegs in height- barely- but still, he was at least half an inch taller.

"Hi… Hiccup." Fishlegs said slowly, also eyeing him. "You look… healthy."

"Thanks- you do too." Hiccup fiddled with Grump's reigns, the horse stomping impatiently while Pixie sat at Hiccup's feet, tongue lolling out of her mouth and drool dribbling onto the dirt.

"How's… life?" Fishlegs asked awkwardly, hands hanging on a bit tighter to whatever merch he held in his arms.

"Fine… I guess. Except for "oh look! That munge-bucket Snotlout is a deputy."." Hiccup frowned and looked away.

Fishlegs gave a little gasp, and his hand shot out to Hiccup's shoulder to turn the boy back to face him. "Did Stoick- no he wouldn't. You've been deputy for years-"

"He did." Hiccup answered shortly. "He did, and without expression too. Didn't even listen when I tried to explain what it meant to me."

Fishlegs stared in shock, eyes wide and jaw slack. "I'm- I'm sorry, Hiccup."

"I'm fine." Hiccup said with a sigh, making his statement seem a lot less "fine" then he'd wanted.

"And how're thing going for you? Not married yet?"

Fishlegs scoffed, but blushed a tinge of pink. "Nah, you would've heard about it if I had. Small town- and everyone's up for the gossip. And since I have no gal, I work at Johan's Trading Post." He said with pride.

Hiccup smiled, "That's great, Fishlegs! Get paid well?"

He nodded, "Enough. Near twenty an hour."

Hiccup whistled, "You'll be a rich man before long." He teased lightly. It was true, he hadn't gotten paid twenty cents until recently, when Gobber had given him a raise from fifteen. I was a generous boost- and a helpful one as well. Hiccup was now able to put more into savings… for whenever it was needed.

"You been busy then, huh?"

Fishlegs nodded. "Very. It seems we have strangers come in everyday from who-knows-where, wanting to trade their winter trappings. Johan says this is normal, but it's still quite new and a rush to me."

Hiccup laughed, "You'll get used to it."

"Are you as busy at the Forge?"

"Just about. Farmers come in constantly with broken supplies- people in Berk need to learn to be more careful." Hiccup gave a jump when Grump head-butted him in the rear, a clear sign of impatience.

"I'll- I'll let you go then." Fishlegs finished off, also noticing the horse. "Maybe… we could talk later?"

 _Gosh_ it had been a long time. Such a long time since he'd heard those words. Hiccup knew he was staring again, but Fishlegs just stared back, waiting for an answer.

"Sure, Fish. Uh- see you later?"

With that Fishlegs carried on his way, leaving Hiccup to stare at his friend until he was out of sight. _Friend?_ Were they friends again?

Did he once again have a friend?

Grump huffed angrily, and Hiccup took that as his cue. He hurried on down the path, grabbing two saddlebags full of feed and medical supplies before leaping aboard the grumpy Grump and heading towards the plains, Pixie on his tail.

He road past the livery barn and corrals, and once past urged Grump into a lope. But if he'd glanced over to the stables, he would've noticed the tough cowgirl with her arms and head on top of the corral rail, her suspicious eyes following him out of sight.

…

Hiccup forgot that the Night Fury literally screamed whenever another strange horse came near. And- just as he'd arrived even remotely near to the Night Fury since first meeting- he arrived by his butt landing in the dirt, saddle bags collapsing on top of him before Grump took off, leaving him in the dust.

"Thanks a lot." Hiccup groaned, rolling over and flopping the heavy saddlebags on the edge of the cove. He peered down, catching sight of the annoyed horse by the waters. To his relief, it was standing, but wasn't putting any weight on his leg. Understandable, it wasn't a light wound, but it still had Hiccup concerned.

He turned and told Pixie to stay before skidding down, dragging the saddlebags with him. Upon landing, he slowly got to his feet hands outwards where the jittery horse could see them, hoping he wouldn't alarm him too much.

"Hey, bud." Hiccup greeted hesitantly. "Um- I brought you some food. And some more stuff for your leg."

The horse snorted and backed away, stepping on his leg as though to say, _"I don't need your help, human."_

Hiccup was impressed, but not surprised. This horse was wild and used to injuries, he'd probably suffered worse than this wound. "Um- okay maybe food will help convince you?"

He dragged the saddlebag closer, yet was forced to stay a good five feet away or the horse would lunge and snap his teeth. He unbuttoned the flap, flipping it open and displaying the grain inside. The horse whined instantly, but didn't hesitate to glare at Hiccup again before stepping forward- so quickly that Hiccup gave an involuntary jump backwards in surprise.

"Eh- uh-…" Hiccup tripped on a stone and landed on his rear in the grass, watching as the horse began chomping on the feed. He rolled over and grabbed the other bag, wondering if the Night Fury was distracted enough to let him clean up his leg.

"Erm… okay… I'm just… crawling over here- not doing anything. Minding my own business…" Hiccup said quietly, but the horse's ears merely flickered. Hiccup grinned and hurried back, pulling the bandage from its tuck in the folds and began unwrapping. The horse snorted and whirled away, but didn't lunge as he'd expected. He sat there for a moment in surprise, before swallowing thickly and trying again. This time he got the bandage off before the horse moved again.

"Hey, I'm trying to help you here." Hiccup said with a small laugh. The horse snorted, but didn't move.

He pulled out a canteen and dunked it on the horse's leg, causing it to let out a furious screech and try to jump away. The motion caused Hiccup to sprawl on his face in the dirt, while the Night Fury stumbled away with angry snorts.

Hiccup sat up and wiped the mud off his mouth, slumping against the cove wall as he watched the horse return to his feed back- on the opposite side of Hiccup. From this view point he could tell that a thick white covered over the slick cut. It was healing, but there would be a risk of infection if flies got to it. So he hesitantly pulled out the disinfected bandages and began moving forward again.

"I'm sorry, bud, if this hurts." Hiccup murmured. The horse glared at him, opening his mouth to growl. Once again Hiccup noticed with sympathy along with a tinge of guilt the oddity of the horse's four missing teeth.

"Toothless…" Hiccup repeated, pausing his movements. "Mind if that's what I call you? I'm not very creative with names."

Toothless just blinked, before looking away and burying his nose in the feed bags again.

"I'll take that as a yes." Hiccup continued on his way, moving slowly and carefully as he wrapped the bandages. Toothless's skin rippled at his touch, but Hiccup forced himself to stay calm in order to get the job done. Tried not to panic, although it was hard since he was literally touching the famed mustang without the animal trying to kill him.

"I'm done." Hiccup said quietly, crawling back up and around the horse's head. He sat down, legs crossed and arms resting on his knees.

Toothless was finishing up his food, which he didn't deem officially finished until he had licked the bag clean. He lifted his head proudly, eyeing Hiccup cautiously. Hiccup lifted his hand in a wave, quirking a smile of reassurance.

The horse was most definitely frowning- Hiccup was sure of it. He'd never seen such a horse be so expressive, but this one had so many ways of telling you he was please or not pleased with you. He narrowed his eyes and spun around, giving Hiccup clear view of his tail.

"Hey!" Hiccup exclaimed indignantly, but he was smiling. "I'd rather talk to your head, thank you very much."

Toothless snorted, then began nipping at the grass.

Hiccup relaxed as he watched. Toothless was at first tense and obviously uncomfortable with his presence, but grew more comfortable as the day wore on.

Once the temperature dropped, Hiccup again realized that he was sweaty and the dust clung _to_ that sweat. So, after a few hesitant steps to the small lake, he hastily pulled off his shirt and kicked off his boots before jumping into the refreshing water.

He resurfaced and sighed happily at the feeling of being clean again. He shook his head, hair splayed in all directions as he grinned up at it. There would be no taming that mop.

There was a bigger splash, and Hiccup looked up in surprise as Toothless ambled into the water. He was fairly far away, so Hiccup wasn't too worried, but still. The fact that the horse had followed him into the water was rather astounding- and shocked him to a whole new level.

Toothless nosed the water, then flicked his tail and sent water spraying in Hiccup's direction. With a shout of surprise, the water coated him in the face.

He was _positive_ Toothless laughed.

"Useless mammal." Hiccup muttered with a grin, before dunking himself again and swimming around the horse. Resurfacing, Toothless spun around, giving Hiccup the tail once more.

Hiccup laughed and swam away, not wanting to disturb Toothless out of the waters. He lounged in the water, relishing the relaxing feeling of being out in the middle of nowhere with no cares at all- except for Toothless of course. And poor Pixie who sat sadly up on the cove ridge.

Hiccup whistled, and Pixie was instantly up on her feet and dashing down into the cove. Toothless splashed in alarm, but Pixie listened to Hiccup's command and instead rushed right into the water to him, leaping into his arms. The dog licked his face frantically in greeting.

Toothless calmed soon enough, but didn't bother to stop a glare from shooting Hiccup's way. He grinned cheekily, which sent the horse snorting and spinning away once more.

Before long it became too chilly to stay in the water, so Hiccup stumbled out and let himself dry in the remaining sunlight- which was quickly disappearing. He shrugged on his cloths, combing his hair with his fingers in attempts to calm it. But, previously said and proved, nothing ever could or would.

Toothless was already on the shores, nose in the grass and tail swishing lazily. Hiccup looked at the sky again, sighing when he realized it was probably time to head back to town. He drooped and sincerely wished he could stay in the cove instead.

But with a sharp whistle for Pixie, he bent down and retrieved his saddlebags before saying a quiet goodnight to Toothless and climbing out of the cove.

* * *

 _Thank you for your patience and the feedback. :)_


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6.**

Hiccup was smarter the next time he showed up at the cove. This time he hobbled Grump up by a small pond about a mile or two before the cove, and from there he trekked with Pixie and his saddlebags. Pixie already knew the drill, for she merely paused at the edge and sat down, staring down into the cove in boredom while Hiccup tried to find an easier way inside. After finding none, he simply sat down on his behind and skidded down the slope, careful not to disrupt his bags.

He pushed himself slowly to a stand, eyeing Toothless cautiously as the horse stepped up slowly, snuffing the ground lowly in search of the now annual feed.

Hiccup grinned and opened the two sacks on one of the saddlebags, tossing them onto the ground at the horse's feet. Toothless dove at them instantly, gulping the meal down as though he'd been starving- which Hiccup knew was not the case, if the clipped grass in the cove was any indication.

After giving a quick look over of Toothless's injured leg, to which Hiccup deemed well enough to go without an immediate bandage change, he moved towards a shady tree, settling in the soft grass and pulling out his leather notebook and pencil. He glanced up, watching Toothless nibble on the grain attentively as he let his hand sketch across the page, the thin scratches and circles slowly evolving into the shape of Toothless.

It being Sunday, Hiccup had the day off from the Forge. Normally he'd take Cisco out for a ride and escape the hustle and bustle of town, especially since his father usually came home early and relaxed in the living room on his big chair. The last thing Hiccup needed was to sit inside all day and let the awkwardness suffocate him.

Toothless snorted, sending up a puff of dust as he stomped in irritation. He gave the ground a few licks before shaking his head, main flying and ears flopping.

Hiccup grinned and hurriedly sketched the sight, adding on Toothless's "unamused" expression. Seriously, if that horse was human, he'd be the most sarcastic human on the planet.

He flipped the page and began drawing another image, this one of Toothless's legs. Getting the different muscle tones just right was difficult, but nothing a little studying in practice wouldn't fix. So after doing several different drawings of the horse's legs in different positions, Hiccup flipped the page once more and began a sketch of Toothless grazing by the waters, where the horse was currently standing.

After the general outline was laid out, Hiccup began to sketch it in. So fixed in his concentration, he missed the small pads of heavy hooves, not noticing anything was amiss till a dark shadow fell across him.

He looked up slowly, afraid of spooking the wild horse. Toothless huffed, air blowing into Hiccup's hair as he studied him curiously, eyes especially focused on the paper and pencil.

"I-I'm… I'm just sketching." Hiccup mumbled quietly. "You, mostly, bud."

The horse nickered quietly, shaking his head again before turning and grazing eagerly, leaving Hiccup to stare in surprise. Toothless was only feet away, muscles relaxed and ears flicking easily. It had Hiccup sitting tensely, waiting for the animal to whirl around and kick him in the face.

But after minutes of nothing out of the ordinary, Hiccup relaxed as well, hand once again moving to sketch. The closer view gave him better advantage to the details, which he picked up on quickly.

The day passed all too quickly, and upon leaving Hiccup stood up and went to hesitantly pat Toothless's withers. The horse stiffened, skin flickering but he made no move to escape. Hiccup exhaled heavily in amazement, letting his hand rub gently across the horse's skin. Toothless snorted, holding still for a moment longer before sidestepping away, clearly not entirely comfortable with the close contact.

"G'night, Toothless." Hiccup said quietly with a smile, giving the horse one more pat before trotting over towards the leaner side of the cove. Scrambling up proved difficult, but he eventually reached the top, covered from head to toe in dirt.

Dusting himself off, he and Pixie made their way back to the pond, where Hiccup climbed up onto Grump's back and hurried back to town at top speeds- which just so happened to be the slowest lope in the west.

Town was beautifully silent, everyone visiting or indoors. Sunday was the quiet day of town, where everyone respected the other and made sure things were kept light and quiet. It was really Hiccup's only day off from socializing.

After stabling Grump at the Forge with some hay and feed, Hiccup turned and began making his way slowly towards the house. He frowned at it, the roof barely visible in the distance over the hill and few scattered buildings of the outskirts of town. He really _really_ didn't want to go home yet… heck, it wasn't even sundown.

There was the sound of a footfall behind him, causing Hiccup to whirl around protectively. Pixie wasn't barking however, which told him that the visitor wasn't there to cause him harm.

Oh good Lord, it was Astrid.

"Agh… uh… h-hey…" He stuttered, suddenly fumbling with the saddlebags he held. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

"I came to see why you're snooping in the alley." She sniffed, eyeing him closely. "This isn't the normal path for your home, is it?"

 _How has she not noticed by now?_

"It… it just so happens to be, yeah." He replied in a mumble. "Safest, ya know."

She blinked, and for a moment Hiccup thought he spotted softening in her eyes. But under the brim of her hat he couldn't tell. Speaking of hat, he wished it would fly away. He liked her better without it… and with that leather headband instead. Also speaking of hats, he needed to get a new one after losing his a few days ago. His freckles were reappearing, with a seeming mission of consuming his entire cheeks and nose. Blasted things.

"What've you been doing?"

Hiccup froze, mind coming to a screeching halt as his mind blanked. Uh… _what to tell her, what to tell her_ …

"Um… I've been…" He gulped nervously. "I went for a ride. Don't like to spend a free day in town." _Safe enough answer._

She eyed him suspiciously, and for a fleeting moment Hiccup feared she didn't believe him. He gulped again, praying that she'd let it slide.

"Huh… so…" She cleared her throat and placed her hands on her hips. "Have you eaten?"

He could've stared at her for the rest of time for that remark. Had he eaten? Why the heck did she want to know that?

"Uh…" He stuttered in confusion. "…no..? Why?"

She rolled her eyes and huffed in irritation. "I'm trying to be nice, okay? So just come and eat a stupid meal with me and then you can go and do whatever it was you were going to do."

He broke, eyes wide and unblinking. "Huh?"

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, obviously wanting for patience. "Hiccup Haddock, I swear-" she stepped forward and grabbed his arm, slinging one of the saddlebags over her own shoulder as she led him down the alley towards the stables. "Do you not understand English?"

"Uh-uh… uh… I…" He stuttered rapidly, not entirely sure how to take this much to sudden turn of events. What the heck-? "Why…?"

"Because you're as thin as a post and need the food." She growled in return.

Hiccup shook his head in bewilderment. _I'm so confused…_

She tugged him past the Drug Store and Hardware, pausing outside the stable doors. She fumbled with the keys, slipping them into the door before pushing it open, nodding for Hiccup to follow. He did so hesitantly, briefly wondering if this was all some nasty trap. Yet, he trusted Astrid. She'd never beat up on him before, so he hoped she wouldn't do so now.

"I still don't understand." He murmured, watching as she lit a lantern and headed down the long row of stalls. At the end of the hall she turned and opened a door, allowing them into a room lit from three open windows.

Hiccup stood awkwardly in the doorway as Astrid slammed around with the pots and pans, little whispered curses floating around as she scoured the cupboards for some missing item or utensil.

"I'm not much of a cook." She said, not apologetically or regretfully, but as a statement. "So you either eat my grub or you sit and watch me eat. Either way, you're stuck here."

Hiccup gulped, trying not to feel intimidated, for he knew this was Astrid's way of socializing. She liked to be in charge, and if she wasn't, she made it the hard way for the other. He found it best to just follow her demands, obediently plunking down into a wooden chair as he watched her struggle for a few moments more.

"Venison." She explained, slamming the pot onto the hard tabletop. Hiccup jumped nervously, eyeing the blackened lump of so called "food", wondering if it was at all edible.

"I'm supposed to eat..?" He questioned, quirking an eyebrow at her. He picked up a wayward fork and poked at the meat. "… _that?_ "

"Yes." She growled, spinning plates onto the table and pushing a glass of water in his direction. He sighed and picked it up, peeling off some of the venison and setting it on the surprisingly clean plate. He'd expected everything from Astrid to be rough and down to earth dirty, but her eating utensils were surprisingly clean. She must know how to wash dishes… unlike many of the cowpokes in town. (Snotlout for one)

She sat down across from him, and silence (and some dust, Hiccup realized) settled as they chomped their food. Hiccup found the meat wasn't as horrible as he'd expected, although it was crusty burnt on the outside and juicy raw on the inside. He at it willingly, starving insides welcoming the warm food.

She sighed and pushed back from her chair, clearing her throat almost awkwardly. "I felt bad about the other night." She said gruffly- her voice deepening into a tone that clearly stated she didn't want to apologize. "Snotlout's an idiot."

Hiccup tilted his head, staring at her in surprise. "But… Snotlout's constantly bragging about how you're… you're his girl and that you're even courting."

She spat hatefully, eyes narrowing as she spun to look Hiccup in the eye. "Don't believe everything you hear." She hissed. "That scum will never lay a finger on me, and I'll break any part of him that tries to. He's a scoundrel, not worthy of any woman."

Hiccup blinked in surprise at the sound of so much raw hatred in her voice. He hadn't seen her so angry at someone in all the time he'd known her. He was almost worried she'd turn on him, seeing as how Snotlout wasn't in the room.

She fell back into her chair, eyes narrowed and arms crisscrossed over her chest. She crossed her feet on the floor, somehow making herself look even more intimidating even with her hunched up posture. "I hate him and his old cooney's, those idiot Thorston twins. They ransacked the elevator the other day, claiming it to be a harmless trick. Why the sheriff hired those two on is beyond me, although I have half a mind that he did it just to keep them out of trouble. Heck, like anything will." The last part was added as a mutter, doubt and anger pronounced fluently.

Hiccup had no words, had nothing to say. He agreed wholeheartedly with her… only without the wish-I-could-kill-them-all tone she used and seemed to want. His eyes wandered to the gun at her hip, gulping before glancing down at his hands.

"Stoick doesn't seem in his right mind." Astrid murmured, causing Hiccup's head to snap up. He stared at her intensely, although she did not return the gaze. Her own eyes were casted down at the table's wooden top, looking as though she had dazed out. "He used to be the best sheriff this town has ever had. Now…" her voice trailed off. "Ever since that accident he's never been the same, has he?"

Hiccup bit his lip, not being able to control the onslaught of guilt and feels that consumed him. He looked away once more, eyes watering and hands shaking.

"It's not your fault." Astrid's voice graveled. "Sorry, didn't mean to sound like that. I just mean he's different, and I'm starting to wonder if he'll ever be the same. Wish he was, he used to make wise decisions."

Hiccup nodded regretfully, but the pang of guilt continued to throb in his mind, making him wish to escape to the cove once again. Toothless seemed to be the only one who wasn't bothered with his ramblings and complaints, yet again, here was Astrid, complaining to him. Would she snap and yell if he did the same?

He blinked, realizing it had been years- or never- since he'd had a human companion to go to. There'd been Gobber, definitely, but even he at times put a short end to complaints or laments. He bit his lip, words wanting to spill yet he didn't voice them.

Astrid coughed and shuffled to her feet, hastily grabbing the dirty dishes and leftovers and setting them on the stove. She spun around, boots and spurs clicking.

"You can leave now, if you want." She muttered, jerking a thumb towards the door. "But I still wonder what you do all day. I see you ride out of town, and sometimes return on foot. What's up with that?"

Hiccup chomped on his lip in his worry, biting so hard he drew blood. With a worried whine, he stumbled to his feet, scrambling to pick up his saddlebags as he made haste to the door, where Pixie was seated in waiting. "Eh, eh… you know, practicing with my gun and- ah… just walking." He looked to Pixie, the dog staring back with wide eyes as though to say _"You lying coward"._

Hiccup gave a short glare, then turned back to the suspicious and disbelieving Astrid. "Honest, it's nothing. Just… chilling and-"

His sentence was never finished, for at that moment shouts and gunshots rang out from the North side of town, towards the start of Main Street. In an instant Astrid had both guns in her hands, and before Hiccup could blink she was out the door and running down the stables. Pixie yipped and propelled forward, leaving Hiccup no choice but to take off after them.

"What in the name of Sam Hill!" Astrid shouted, guns poised towards a group of riders galloping down the street. She glanced over at Hiccup, eyes flicking to the saddlebags in his hands before she rolled her eyes and shoved him back inside, swinging the heavy door shut.

"You idiot!" She hissed, "You don't have a gun and you can't shoot, why didn't you stay in the kitchen?"

"Because my dog rushed after you and I'm not about to let the town get ransacked without a fight." Hiccup hissed in return, a spark of anger lighting in his veins. "Give me a gun and I'll do the best I can."

"The best you can is the worst anyone can do." Was the curt answer, which normally would've had him backing off instantly to sulk, but this time only made him more determined and angrier. Astrid Hofferson wasn't about to shove him down, no sir.

He caught sight of a gun belt hanging behind the desk. He dropped his saddlebags to the floor and tossed it off the hook, looping it around his slim waist and tightening the straps. He then grabbed the gun and made sure it was charged, giving him six shots room.

"Your gonna kill somebody." Astrid growled, spinning back around when a bullet whizzed off the door. Without another word, she broke the panels of the only window on that wall and ducked behind it. Before Hiccup understood her actions, two more bullets zipped into the room and slashed against the wooden desk, leaving rivets. With a squeak of alarm he slammed against the wall of the window, watching as a few more bullets littered the opposite panel. The noise sent the stabled horses into a fit of worried braying, adding to the din.

"Brilliant." Hiccup muttered sarcastically. He peered out the window, seeing four masked men on horses raising guns at buildings, randomly shooting them as four others came piling out of the Drug store, sacks and bundles slung over their shoulders.

"Those bastards, what're they doing?" Astrid muttered, watching from a small crack in the wood. "Two… five… blast, looks like there's over ten."

"And where's Dad?" Hiccup whispered, glancing past the men and down the street. In the distance, there were a few retreating figures, but they were too far gone for him to tell who they were. "And where's Sven? He's not gonna be happy…"

"Scoundrels! They're taking the supplies." Astrid hissed, slamming her spur into the hardpacked earth in anger. "At least they're not taking the horses this time."

Hiccup blinked, then looked out again, realization dawning. He should've noticed earlier the red crest on the horse's rumps, a clear sign that these raiders were part of the Red Death clan. The same clan that raided Berk monthly, stealing supplies and horses and shooting anything or anyone that got in their path. They were a dangerous and reckless bunch, and only a few had been caught, though none talked.

It was still a mystery as to why they raided and ransacked towns, and no one knew who the main guy behind it was.

"That's Alvin." Hiccup whispered hoarsely as a big bulky man exited the saloon, a large tankard in his hands. "Of course, the first place he'd go is the saloon. Makes sense."

Astrid stood sharply and let out two bullets, each hitting their mark. One man fell as the metal ripped through his leg, while the other was a lucky hit against one of the sacks on the horses, letting out a gush of broken glass and liquid.

"The stable!" Came a faraway cry.

Bullets rained, forcing Hiccup to duck down low and hold his breath in prayer. The horses whinnied and clattered about in panic, but thank goodness the wall opposite the door protected them from getting injured. Pixie barked fiercely, leaping against the door before spinning back around, barking some more and repeating her movements, making it clear she wished to be out in the fight.

"That was a smart move!" Hiccup shouted to be heard above the racket, voice thick with sarcasm.

"At least I tried! Which is more than you can say!" Astrid screeched back angrily, the butt of one of her pistols jabbing into Hiccup's ribs.

There was more shouting, and in almost an instant the bullets ceased to a halt. As soon as done, Astrid and Hiccup both leapt to their feet and peered out the window, relieved to see the sheriff on his horse Scullcrusher chasing after the group of bandits. But it was too late, Alvin and the gang were already disappearing over the horizon.

"Darn you, Alvin!" Stoick screamed, letting off a few harmless shots in the air. Hiccup stared as his father silenced, the large man sitting hunched over as he stared after the receding dots that were once man and horse.

Astrid's heavy breathing slowly returned to normal, as did Hiccup's. The horse's settled, Pixie quieted, and soon all returned to the normal quietness of a Sunday evening.

Hiccup slumped down against the wall, rubbing his hands against his face in exhaustion. Astrid huffed and hoisted herself to her feet, dusting herself off as she clicked to the desk.

"Well." She said, leaning against it, face drawn and figure poised rigid. "They're getting worse. Attacking on a Sunday, how low can they be?"

Hiccup sighed heavily, merely shaking his head. Pixie trotted over, shoving her hand under his hand. He ran it absently through her fur, letting the shock of what just happened calm.

"It's getting late- nearly sundown." Astrid continued, this time bending down to pick up the bigger pieces of broken glass. "You'd better head out- I'm not letting you stay in the stables." She muttered roughly.

Hiccup stood silently, unstrapping his holster and placing it back on the wall, letting the gun sit on the desk. He bent to retrieve his saddlebags, then stood quietly by the doorway as he waited for Pixie to gather a stray hoof clipping.

"Thanks for the meal." He said in an almost whisper. "Sorry for bothering you."

"No bother." Astrid shifted position, arms crossed and face emotionless. "Stop anytime, even though you're not much of a talker, nice to have someone besides Mulch and Bucket to talk to."

Hiccup, in his daze from the aftermath of a gun fight, for a moment thought he was merely hearing things. But after taking a double look, he realized that what he heard was indeed true. Astrid nodded and touched her fingers to the brim of her hat, then stepped back down the hall.

"G'night." Hiccup murmured, turning slowly to open the door. "C'mon Pix."

The dog trotted after him, pausing to wait as he clicked the door shut. Hiccup stood a moment longer, glancing over at his father who was talking to a distraught Sven across the street. It was late dusk, the sun nearly disappearing over the hill, it would soon be dark.

Hiccup's mind scrambled, but he didn't want to go home. Heck, that was the last place he wanted to go right now. His father was a grumpy and irritated mess, and he would definitely take it out on his son.

So without a second thought, Hiccup spun right back around and headed back to the Forge, where he grabbed two blankets and stuffed them into his saddlebags, along with another small sack of feed for Toothless. Once done he grabbed his pistol and strapped it to his waist, swung around and passed by Grump's stall, knowing the horse was tired and in need of rest. He could walk, and he'd do it.

Pixie remained behind for the first time, by Hiccup's order. He didn't want to leave her alone and defenseless on the top of the cove. So after making sure she was safe and secure up on the porch of the house, Hiccup set off for the plains, knowing the way by heart now.

It was long past dark when he reached the cove, and the cold had settled in. It didn't help that a cold North wind blew, hinting that fall was on the way. With a shiver he hurried faster, skidding down into the grassy cove floor at the bottom where he huddled for a moment in the chilly air, realizing how stupid he was for coming in the middle of the night with no protection but a few blankets.

He found a fairly sheltered place, thankful that Toothless was trapped in a cove where the wind was blocked. The said horse was standing off on a far wall, where the wind was effectively inactive and where the grass billowed peacefully. Toothless nickered softly when he saw him, but otherwise made no move to come closer.

Hiccup curled on the hard ground, the two blankets tucked around him while his head rested on the saddlebags. Still he shivered and quaked, silently wondering if he'd get frostbite thanks to his own stupidity.

He must've dozed off, for he woke sometime in the night when he felt something shift behind him. He nearly had a heart attack, fearing it was a wolf or some other animal come to kill him. But after a panicked moment, he realized with shock and surprise that it wasn't a death animal at all, but Toothless who was lying down beside him, the horses warm back pressed against Hiccup's. Hesitantly, he settled back into his makeshift bed, alert for any movements.

Gradually, the heat wafting from the horse's body lulled Hiccup back into sleep, where he dreamed of blonde cowgirls and bandits, and where he was riding a coal black horse, chasing the demons back into the plains.

* * *

A/N _Thank you for the feedback!_


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7.**

Hiccup woke up to something dry and scratchy nipping at his nose. He blinked open his eyes, starting abruptly at the sight of a horse's muzzle, effectively spooking Toothless in the process.

The horse paused and snorted in irritation, stomping his hoof.

"Morning to you too, bud." Hiccup growled sleepily, rolling back over onto his back, blinking drearily up at the morning colored sky. "Trying to eat my nose- are you hungry?"

Toothless stared, then shook his head with an animalistic scowl, bending back down to nip at the green grass swaying in the morning breeze.

Hiccup laughed and mimicked Toothless's movements, rolling into a sitting position against the wall. He glanced down at himself, covered in dirt, twigs, and grass from head to toe. He stood to his socked feet, trying to dust himself off.

"I suppose I should head back." Hiccup muttered, looking up towards the cove wall. "Gobber'll be wondering where I disappeared to."

Toothless whickered quietly, followed by a loud _thunk._ Hiccup spun around, frowning at the sight of Toothless's leg bandage unwound and tangling together with his other legs, keeping him captured in that position. The horse's eyes began to roll white, nostrils flaring in panic.

"Hold still, bud!" Hiccup called, diving forward to unwrap the rest of the bandages, letting them fall to the ground. Toothless instantly tore away, galloping to the far side of the cove in anxious fear.

"Toothless- fella I have to rewrap that-" Hiccup pointed out, gesturing towards the horses leg. He tugged the roll of bandages from the saddlebags, waving them about. "See? Buddy, I'll get 'em good and tight this time… I promise."

Toothless shrilled again, backing up paces in his frustration. Head lowered and ears pinned against his neck, he was clearly unhappy.

Hiccup sighed heavily and tossed the bandages back into the bag, buttoning them up before slinging them across his shoulders. He casually bent down to slip on his boots, not bothering to give the half wild horse another glance.

The sounds began to settle, and by the time Hiccup was ready to go, Toothless had returned to his old self. He trotted leisurely to the boy, nickering quietly as if in apology, nose bumping against his arm as he made way to climb up the cove.

"Hey, Mr. Sensitive, I just so happen to be hurt by your behavior." Hiccup said with a sarcastic smile. "Only trying to help you, ya know, and what do you do?"

Toothless nipped Hiccup's hair playfully, tugging his head back a bit in demands for attention.

"Skedaddle, useless mammal." Hiccup muttered, but even as he said the words his hands found there way to the horse's main. He hesitated, then dipped his hand into the course hair, running his fingers through the knots and tangles. He didn't dare breath for fear of frightening the skittish animal, so did his best to remain silent, slow, and careful.

Toothless didn't seem bothered, only irritated when Hiccup patted his chest.

"So long, bud. I'll try and make it back tonight- if work permits." _And if I decide sleeping at the house is too risky…_

Hiccup clambered out of the cove, staring at the sun that had just barely peaked from behind the hills in the distance. He smiled, lifting a hand to feel the left over chilly breeze from the night brush through them. Already the cold air was rising, warmth remaining.

Hiccup jogged back the remaining miles, exhausted by the time he arrived at the edge of town. His boots were most definitely not meant for running, his heals and legs protesting with every movement he made. Sleeping on a hard ground hadn't help matters, either.

"And so you appear from the prairie's… _again._ " Came a voice from the corrals. Hiccup jerked his head up, gaze locking with Astrid's cool eyes, shaded by a dark brown felt hat.

"O-oh…" Hiccup flushed, remembering the previous evening. "H-hey… uh, how's… how's life? Eh- Morning?"

She stared at him, unamused. "I repeat: where were you all night?"

He shifted positions uncomfortably, eyes trained on his boots. "Would you believe me if I said…sleeping?"

"No." was the sharp answer. Hiccup looked up, just in time to see her gaze soften, and her tone lower. "Unless you… Gosh, do you not have a place to sleep?"

Hiccup blanched, and hastily shook his head, extending his hands out in protest. "Ha, no! I… I still live with my father, just… I prefer sleeping out there." He gestured to the land behind him.

"Why?" The question was simple, but why… _why_ did the answer have to be so difficult?

"Uh… I found _er_ … I have a friend who lives outside of town. I stay there most of the time." Hiccup explained shortly, trying to exclude any stuttering or uncertainty in his tone. He'd always known he was a terrible liar…

And just as he'd expected, she didn't look like she believed him. "Female?" She asked simply, the question enough to knock the air out of Hiccup's lungs.

He choked. "Wh-whuh!?"

"Female?" She repeated with a roll of her eyes. "But by that answer, I'm assuming not."

"No." Hiccup said firmly, agreeing. "N-no… uh, I'm… yeah…" _My boots, this is awkward…_

"I have work." Hiccup finally finished, eyes flitting towards further down the alley. "Have a nice day, Astrid."

She leaned against the fence, making him uncomfortable as he continued down the street, feeling her gaze burning into the back of his head. He hastily ducked past a building, breathing a sigh of relief to be out of sight.

"Hiccup!"

He froze instantly, the voice sending a deep feeling through his gut making his legs freeze up and his mind screech to a halt. He spun around slowly, eyes narrowing and anger cooling to an almost unrealistically calm level.

Stoick was marching towards him, guns at his hips and large hat spread over his face. He looked angry, and for a brief moment Hiccup saw his life pass before his eyes. Maybe this was it…

"Hiccup, there's been trouble." Stoick growled gruffly. "Alvin made it past and raided a farm out of town- shot the man and his woman."

Hiccup's breath hitched, eyes widening.

"Have you sent anyone out-"

"It was old man Bush and his Native wife." Stoick went on, hands resting on the belt of his holster. "Colt rode in with a gunshot in his arm, said both Ma and Pa are dead. But that's besides the point. Point is, I need you to ride with us to track and metal, because you're the only person in town besides Gobber who knows how to do _that._ " He breathed under his breath, yet Hiccup still heard, "Apparently…"

Hiccup could've swallowed his tongue he was so angry. He did bite down hard on it, feeling the coppery taste of blood fill his mouth. "You want me to come with you to _track?_ "

Stoick's eyes narrowed, demeanor hardening. "I need Alvin in a cell." His voice dripped hatred.

"No, you want him _dead._ " Hiccup spat. "All because of your pride. And what of Bush? You could care less about him- and his wife! His _wife_ , Dad. A woman shot in cold blood. And what of Colt, huh? He just lost a father and a mother, and you don't give a hoot."

"Losses-" Stoick grit his teeth and looked away, the fists that tightened around his belt not going unnoticed by his son. "I never said we wouldn't bury them-"

" _'We?'_ " Hiccup questioned. "Me and you, or the deputies as well? You know I can't ride with Snotlout."

"You can and you will." Stoick shot back, turning to walk away. "Get yourself a horse and meet us at the stables."

"You don't care that people died? You're not going to mourn and actually try to help their son?" Hiccup called after him, anger pulsing through his veins. He clenched his fists tightly, fingernails digging into the palm of his hands. "I would think that you, of all people, would know how it feels to lose someone important to you." He hissed lowly.

Stoick's head snapped up and he swung around, hand jerking out his pistol as he aimed it lowly towards Hiccup's chest, eyes nothing but dark pools. "Don't you dare open that trap of yours again." He bellowed. "Or this'll be a three party funeral!"

"You'd kill your own son?" Hiccup shouted, waving his arms angrily. His saddlebags dropped to the ground, but he didn't bother with them. "That should be more then enough proof for yourself-"

"Shut. _Up._ " Stoick growled, pocketing his gun once more. "Hurry up and grab a horse-"

"What about Colt?" Hiccup asked sharply.

"With Gothi currently, won't be able to join the ride." Stoick replied simply. "Now, grab your horse."

Hiccup rolled his eyes, gesturing about him. "What horse!? I don't have one!"

"Fine, Mulch and Bucket will loan you one." Stoick huffed in irritation, spinning back about with a final order to follow. Hiccup groaned and did so unwillingly, but knew it would be better to listen and get it over with.

Dang, he wanted to ride out of this town and never look back.

"Aaaand he's coming." Snotlout whined from his place on his chestnut's back, arms resting on the saddle horn. "You sure about this, sheriff?"

"Hm, since when did he get so _hot..?_ " Ruffnut purred, practically drooling as she leaned forward, eyes half-lidded. "Hello handsome. Need a ride?"

Hiccup cringed and sidestepped away from her, hurrying towards the stables. Before he could open the door however, it swung open, revealing Astrid. Hat pulled over her eyes and two sets of reigns in her hands she led two horses out, handing the bay one to Hiccup. Her own horse was a golden palomino with pale yellow main and tail, blue hand-crafted Indian designs on the bridle and some on the saddle. The horse in whole was gorgeous, and it seemed to know it for it snuffed and shook its head proudly.

"Settle down, Stormfly." Astrid said gently, patting her horse's withers calmingly before swinging aboard and picking up the reigns. She quirked and eyebrow, "Coming?" The question directed towards the gawking Hiccup.

"Yeah… yeah…" He turned to his borrowed steed, a small bay horse with a star in its main. "Hullo, fella."

"Stop talking to horses, we have a job to do." Snotlout snarked, while Tuff idly deformed his hat and Ruff continued to stare.

"And Ruff, pick up your jaw." Astrid added with a roll of her eyes.

"Are you teens ready?" Stoick asked gruffly, riding up on his large dappled grey horse, Scullcrusher, who was jumping about in obvious anticipation for the ride.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Hiccup muttered, yet no one heard- thankfully.

"Hiccup?"

"Yeah, yeah." He nudged his horse forward, staring closely at the ground the further out of town they rode. For the most part, everyone was silent, except for an occasional outburst between Snotlout and the twins. Apparently it was considered normal, for Astrid would just holler at them to shut up, and they would… for a few moments more. Then they'd pick up the arguing again.

Hiccup sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Okay, just try and focus…"

"Something wrong?" Stoick asked impatiently. "Gobber said you were _good_ at this."

"Sad that he knows me better then you do." Hiccup snapped back, glaring. "So just hush and let me do my job."

"Is something wrong?" Astrid inquired quietly- and almost friendly-like, had her sharp eyes not been so hard.

"There's a mess of tracks here and I can't make them out. By now, it could be anyone's... wild horses not included." Hiccup moaned and rubbed a hand over his face. "Think, Hiccup… what is it with Alvin that others wouldn't have…"

He froze, eyes lighting up with a smile as he snapped his fingers, jumping off the horse and to the ground. "Hold on." He moved across the ground, kneeling down to finger the dirt. "Ha, found it."

"What? Your worth? A life maybe?" Snotlout jeered, smirking smugly. Ruffnut slapped his arm, while Tuffnut yawned in boredom.

"Tracks, Snot." Hiccup answered, voice steady and calm. "Alvin had a lame horse, the one Astrid shot. That horse was limping and bleeding, it'll leave a steady trail. It's late however, so the blood will have dried up and gone crusty brown. Which," He pointed the tip of his boot against a small clump on the ground. "Blood, and not so old. We just have to follow the trail."

There was startled silence as Hiccup climbed mounted his horse, staring at them coolly. Astrid's eyes sparkled with… admiration? While Snotlout just looked gobsmacked and Stoick surprised. Ruff… Ruff was still drooling dreamily.

"Are we moving or not? I have things to do." Hiccup muttered, spinning his horse around to follow the path. It wasn't long before they broke off into taller grasses, making it more difficult to see but not impossible.

Not long before they ended up at the Bush Ranch.

Hiccup stared on desolately and grieved, for the house was smoking lazily, and the fences were broken and torn. Some stray chickens scattered across the yard.

"Holy cow…" Astrid whispered.

Hiccup slid out of the saddle, staring on in shock. It was horrible, the buildings were ransacked, trash was spread out, and there was a distinct scent of death. Hiccup stepped slowly through the debris, nearly having a heart attack when he stumbled over a limp body.

He turned around, breathing heavily, yet felt cruel when relieved that it was just the farmhouse dog. He looked back up at the house, wincing when Stoick came out dragging the prone shape of a man.

"Dad?" He called out, biting his lip as the name just… slipped out without notice. He frowned and cleared his throat, hurrying to continue. "Is it Bush?"

"And his wife." He jerked a thumb towards the door with a shake of his head. "I suppose it would only be right if we called Preacher out here and gave them a proper funeral."

Hiccup looked away, moving back to his horse. "Yeah, Dad. I'd say so."

"Livestock is gone." Astrid informed, pulling Stormfly to a stand beside Hiccup. "Gone and some dead. Looked like they tried to burn the barn, but didn't succeed."

"Devils." Stoick cursed. "Let's go find-"

"Hold up, what about…" Hiccup interrupted urgently, eyes staring at Bush's body on the porch.

"We get home tonight, I'll send some men out to gather the bodies and clean the rest of the place up." Stoick stated, grunting as he got back into the saddle. "Right now, I want Alvin under lock and throw away the key. That man deserves to rot the rest of his days out in prison."

Hiccup grit his teeth but forced himself to remain quiet. He just wanted this whole ordeal to be over and done with.

They rode back out, Hiccup in the lead as he stared intently at the scant grass and sand. Astrid rode close behind, watching him intently.

"Something… uh, is something wrong?" Hiccup asked cautiously, looking up nervously.

"No, just watching." She answered blandly.

"If you want something to watch, I have a back row seat." Snotlout spoke, smirking and nodding his head behind him. "How 'bout it, babe?"

Astrid hissed and pulled out her gun, cocking it purposely with a pointed look in Snotlout's direction.

"Ha, he's done it again." Tuff called with a whoop. "Gonna actually shoot him one of these days, Astrid? Or maybe break his arm again- now _that_ was a glorious day…"

"Shut up, both of you, before I blow your hats off." Astrid ordered sharply, holstering her gun.

"Quiet all of you." Hiccup said stiffly, "They're just up ahead."

They all fell silent, but from Stoick's red face it was clear he wasn't pleased. "Why didn't you say something sooner?" He hissed.

"What's with it? I told you didn't I?" Hiccup grumbled. "Now I'm riding back-"

"Cowardly, as usual." Snotlout said absently. "But then again, since I'm along, you guys probably didn't even have to come-"

"Shut your trap, Snotlout, before I burn it shut." Stoick ordered sharply.

 _"Violent."_ Hiccup whispered under his breath.

Astrid rolled her eyes with a low groan and slid off Stormfly's back, giving them all a curt glare. "Are you coming or do I have to gun them myself?"

Hiccup huffed as he jumped down and followed, not at all happy about this prospect. He didn't even have a gun, why the heck were they making him tag along? He'd probably just get himself- and them- killed…

"Here." Astrid said, tossing him .44 Colt that he barely managed to catch. "Use it if you need to."

"Don't if it's unnecessary." Stoick added. "We don't need you getting us killed."

"Thanks. Wonderful encouragement." Hiccup muttered sarcastically.

"Where did you say they were?"

Hiccup gestured with his gun towards a canyon, large rock structures piling overhead in a stretch of reddened sand. "Right there- Rattler Pass."

Stoick clicked his guns as he dragged them out of the holster, moving steadily towards the opening. There was a loud shout that instantly had him ducking behind an outcropping, the others jumping down beside him. Hiccup rolled his eyes, stepping over it easily to continue walking.

"What are you doing!?" Astrid whispered loudly in frustration. "You're gonna get us all killed!"

"No! Handsome, come back…" Ruff howled with a moan.

Hiccup looked back, tucking his gun into his boot before continuing aimlessly, ignoring the others curses and whispered shouts for him to return. He ambled into the canyon, whistling and swinging his arms as he walked.

A shot rang out, bouncing off the walls to land harmlessly in the dirt, just barely missing Hiccup's foot. He looked up, waiting for the gunner to make an appearance.

"Who are ya?" Alvin called out, bulky shape just visible in the shadows.

Faking shock, Hiccup quaked in his boots, "G-g-g-good Lord! Why… why would you shoot at a person like that? I could've died!"

"Speak yer business, then we'll see if yer in the clear." Alvin replied simply, ignoring all of Hiccup's exaggerations. "Hurry up with it! I have some bacon here that I'd really like to-"

"Bacon?" Hiccup swung his head up, grinning lustfully. "Uh… wanna share? I haven't eaten anything of today…" He continued to smile, hoping his ruse would hold up long enough for the others to figure out what he was doing, and to get a darned move on.

"I don't think so- state yer business I said!" Alvin barked, his gun flashing as he moved it threateningly.

"I… I was just out looking for my dog." Hiccup explained easily. "Lost her last night during some raid in town- did you here?"

Hiccup could see Alvin physically relax, gun lowering ever so slightly. "Ye seem familiar, we met before?"

Hiccup stiffened, but shook his head in reply. "N…no? I don't think so? I don't get out much, kind of a home-body."

"I could've sworn I-"

Hiccup took that opportunity to step forward and pass the little crevice- aka "Rattlers Pass", smiling pleasantly at the flabbergasted Alvin. The other men were all gathered in a circle around a small campfire, each set of eyes trained on him.

"Hullo, fellas!" Hiccup called, plopping down on a log. He glanced at the pan of sizzling bacon, reaching out to grab a piece. He yelped at how hot it was, juggling it between hands before taking a bite, humming in delight.

"Boyo- it's been a long time since I've been on the trail- nearly four years. I was only fourteen at the time, got stuck with two fellas by the name of Jessie and James. Two brothers who had a fancy for the old Jessie, I'd reckon." He took another bite, the others staring expressionless at him.

 _They're not buying it_. He stressed, praying that the others were doing what he hoped they were doing.

"So, what you guys doing out here? This is Rattler's Pass after all-"

Alvin leaned against the wall, gaze on one of his men as he nodded his gun. Hiccup noticed first hand, and was prepared for what came next.

The man leaped, but Hiccup easily dodged out of the way. A series of shots sounded as he collapsed onto the ground, rolling over quickly to feel a short pain in his arm. He bit his lip and ignored it, dashing for the crevice.

"It's an ambush! Gosh-" Alvin swore loudly, voice racketing off the walls and bouncing to two familiar laughs above. "Those scallywags!"

"Surprise!" Tuff called, more bullets ringing.

"Get them, you fools!" Alvin shrieked. The men were scrambling about desperately trying to find cover, while others cried out in alarm as bullets grazed and landed targets. The saddled horses against the wall shrilled in panic, stomping furiously.

"Give it up, Alvin! You're surrounded!" Stoick called down, voice echoing. Hiccup collapsed outside the crevice, breathing heavily from the exertion and adrenaline. He clasped his hand against his right arm, pulling it away to reveal a thin streak of blood. He peered closer, realizing he'd gotten a lucky graze.

"Stoick! You scum! I should've known you wouldn't let go of that grudge!" Alvin called out angrily, stomping his feet and tossing his gun into the air. "Get down here and fight like a real man! And I might just be kind enough to tell you what you want to know, aye?"

There was a heavy thud, and Hiccup could've sworn he felt the ground shake. He peaked around the opening, staring in wide-eyed silence as Stoick stepped closer, appearing extremely intimidating. Astrid and Snotlout were already hauling the other men onto there horses, tied by their hands to the saddle horns.

He glanced back to Alvin and his father not far away, hesitating for only a moment before tugging the gun out of his boot, aiming for Alvin's gun hand. He steadied himself, aiming carefully, hand wavering as usual. But with one more careful inhale, he pulled the trigger.

Alvin howled and gripped his arm, gun dropping to the ground as he slammed against the wall, Stoick pinning him useless. Hiccup sighed and smiled shakily, glancing down at his smoking gun.

"Who shot!?" Snotlout exclaimed in confusion. "Tuffnut!"

"Wasn't me!"

Snotlout stared skywards, where the twins were now staring over the edge. Ruff snorted and held up her hands. "Hey, I'm innocent!"

"Innocent, not- but who the heck…" Astrid glanced around, eyes landing on Hiccup's mop of auburn hair leaning against the wall. She double blinked in disbelief, nudging Snotlout in the arm.

"Shut up, we know _he_ didn't." Snotlout snapped.

"Yes he did, so give him a hand and go grab the horses." Stoick growled, shoving Alvin past towards a large black mare.

Hiccup breathed shakily, pushing himself to his feet. He stepped around the edge, blushing as he tossed his pistol to Astrid, murmuring thanks.

"What the heck just happened?" Snotlout demanded with a stomp of his boot. "Somebody tell me, because I am confused!"

"Normal occurrence." Hiccup added with a tilt of his head. Astrid snorted.

"Shut up, Useless." Snotlout growled, making a move to step closer.

Astrid grabbed his arm and flipped him against the wall, glaring. " _Useless_ \- he just shot Alvin you dunderhead!"

Hiccup shook his head in befuddlement, shocked that anyone was defending him. He gulped nervously, wondering if Snotlout would pay him back for this later. "Astrid- its fine, truly I'm… I just want to get back to town. Forget about this, alright?"

"Done." Snotlout called.

"I'm going to the Forge." Hiccup said, spinning back around just as the twins came in, horses behind them. He grabbed the reigns of his and vaulted into the saddle, gripping the reigns tightly before tipping his head. "See you later." He mumbled, spinning his horse about and trotting out of the canyon.

"Well, _that_ was interesting…" Hiccup muttered under his breath, slouching. He didn't even know what to think, had no idea how to process what just happened. Hey, his Dad didn't yell at him and Astrid had punched Snotlout for him- well, partly anyways. It was also probably because she utterly despised him, and it wasn't hard to get mad at a guy like Snot…

He exhaled heavily and ran a hand down his face, staring desolately at the open prairies. He didn't know what to do. Didn't know what to think.

He shifted in the saddle, having forgotten what it was like to be on a horse (a horse with some pep in their step) so young. He paused, staring down at the stirrups longingly. It had been so long since he'd done… _anything_ really. No more tricks, no more daring stunts.

He bit his lip and let his mind drift away to Toothless, remembering the black stallion's powerful legs and muscles. How amazing it would be to be riding the Night Fury, the famed stallion that anyone could hardly lay a finger on. His mind wandered, until it landed on something that he knew was pushing the limits, yet it was too tempting to just let go of. A saddle and blanket. That's all he needed to start breaking in the stallion.

He smiled softly and tightened a hold on the reigns, yipping as he nudged his horse into a gallop, hurrying back to town.

* * *

 _Reviews are awesome! Thanks guys. :D_


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8.**

Hiccup struggled to haul the heavy leather saddle off of old Grump's back, thumping it on the ground so he could tug off the blanket with his free hand. Grump snorted in irritation, turning his head to peer at Hiccup through one of his eyes.

"Don't look at me like that." Hiccup teased. "You'll get it back, I promise. A friend of mine just needs to… ah, _borrow_ it for a time. Okay?"

He planned on designing and making a new one over the next few days at the Forge, hoping to design them to better suit Toothless's smaller and lithe body. The horse was smooth and fast, he wouldn't want a heavy and bulky saddle dragging him down. Light-weight materials- like birch wood for the frame- that was the type of Western saddle Toothless deserved. That, and he planned on braiding and waxing a hand woven bridle, as an old Indian had taught him a few years back in exchange for a horse blanket.

"Alright you old bur-under-the-saddle." Hiccup smiled and gave Grump's rump a soft smack, just enough to clue the horse to go home. The horse started off at a decent trot, but before he was even ten yards away he stumbled back into a walk. Hiccup turned to Pixie, whistling her a command as the dog took off after the horse, guiding it back to town.

"Alright…" Hiccup inhaled deeply, looking hesitantly up at the edge of the cove where leaves and other vegetation could just be seen above the lip. With another deep breath Hiccup hoisted the saddle and blanket up into his arms, wrapping a halter around his shoulder.

He knew he was going about this totally wrong, and had Astrid seen him, she would've wrung his neck. Normally you'd halter break the horse first, then toss the saddle on him and go for a wild ride. That was Astrid's job, jumping onto a half-wild mustang and hanging on for dear life until the horse realized that it would be easier to cave.

But he wanted to try it differently, as was his way. He never did like to go by the book.

He stopped at the edge of the cove, where Toothless then spotted him and whinnied shrilly in welcome, trotting to the wall with a shake of his head.

"I did not think this through…" Hiccup moaned, eyes flitting about in search of somewhere to get the saddle down safely. "Okay, this is… yeah, definitely going to be harder then I thought."

Toothless tilted his head and backed up so he could see him, the horses eyes narrowed suspiciously at the sight of so much gear.

"No fears, bud. I won't force you to do anything." Hiccup reassured, shifting slightly. "I guess I'll just have to slide it down… gently." He knelt down in the spot where he normally climbed out, where it wasn't as step and there was a vine-like rope he used to pull himself up. He pulled up the vine and wrapped it around the saddle horn and seat, gently lowering it down with ease.

Hiccup slid down after it, bringing the saddle-blanket and halter with him.

Toothless was snuffling the saddle curiously but once Hiccup touched the ground he gave a dog-like growl and backed away, eyes narrowed and nostrils flaring. Hiccup bit his lip and slowly lowered himself into a crouch, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He said softly.

Toothless did _not_ look convinced.

"Here." Hiccup lifted the halter and gave it a little shake, the buckle jingling. "It's harmless! Doesn't even have a *bit- see? No metal, just soft materiel. It's a halter I made myself, and I made sure it was good and soft." Hiccup moved forward slowly, standing up hesitantly and pausing when the horse flinched in fear.

He extended his hand holding the bridle, letting the strap graze Toothless's withers. The horse's skin quivered and shook, trying to get rid of the bothersome ties.

"Feel it? It's soft…" Hiccup took another step closer, now near enough to rest a hand on Toothless's neck in reassurance. The stallion shook his head, but seemed to relax as his ears straightened curiously.

"See?" Hiccup smiled and dragged the halter up the horses neck, his skin still quivering but not nearly as dramatically. "Good boy!"

Toothless turned to give him a curt glare.

"Bud! I'm sorry, right, you're not a pet…" Hiccup teased, but realized his words rang shockingly true. Toothless wasn't a pet, and wasn't just an animal. He was a _friend._

He hesitated when the halter reached Toothless's neck, but he didn't seem to mind it. His eye-lids fluttered then closed as he let out a loud sigh, head lowering in trust.

Hiccup stared on in awe.

"Bud… can I?" He rubbed the halter over the horse's hide, and when he didn't protest, he pulled it away and unbuckled the strap. Gently and ever so carefully, Hiccup tugged it over Toothless's mouth and head.

He stepped back and smiled brightly, the horse looking strikingly handsome with the brown leather contrast against his black fur. The horse blinked and stared at him, giving his head a small tilt as the nylon shifted.

"Not so bad, huh?" Hiccup grinned, patting Toothless's neck fondly.

The stallion shook his head sharply, jarring the halter back and forth but not tearing it off completely. Hiccup had buckled it loosely in case Toothless decided that the contraption was not desired, and tried to take it off. But he only gave his head and body a few more tireless shakes till he settled down, and stood silent.

His tail flicked from its pinned position against his butt, revealing that he wasn't entirely pleased.

"Want me to take it off?' Hiccup asked worriedly, reaching for the halter.

Toothless sidestepped away with a huff of annoyance. He turned back and stared at him intensely, those so vibrantly colored eyes seemingly staring straight into his soul. Hiccup swallowed thickly.

The horse moved his stomach closer to Hiccup's body, giving a whicker of command.

Hiccup stared in disbelief, unable to comprehend this sudden change of events. But with shaking hands he grabbed a handful of Toothless's main and gave a small tug, watching intently for any signs that his friend wished him away.

But Toothless merely stood still, ears flicking lazily.

"Okay..?" Hiccup inhaled deeply, waiting a moment longer before giving two small jumps till he leaped onto the horses back, hanging onto his main for dear life.

Toothless bolted, sending Hiccup spilling into the dirt with a heavy thud.

Hiccup curled into a ball with a groan, eyes closed and hand flopped over his face as he waited for the wind to return to his lungs. It was agony for thirty seconds until he began to breathe again, lungs resetting themselves.

He laid there huffing and panting for air, wondering where Toothless hadn't gotten to. Wasn't long before he heard the soft patters of hoofs against soft ground, and it was only then that he dared to peak out from behind his arm.

The horse's eyes were wide and bright, nose drawing closer as he snuffled Hiccup's hair.

"Thanks, bud. Thanks a lot." He mumbled sarcastically.

The horse nickered in return.

"My fault, sure. You're the one who asked me to get on."

Toothless pulled away, eyes half lidded as he stared in unamusement.

"With your body movements." Hiccup explained roughly, gesturing his hand towards Toothless's rear end.

The horse just continued to stare, until he sputtered and turned to nip at some nearby grass. Hiccup lay there for a few moments more, wondering if he should dare try the saddle. Bareback- and Toothless had nearly had a panic attack.

He glanced over at the blanket and rolled over to grab it, fingering the soft materiel thoughtfully. He pulled himself to his feet, gently pressing the blanket against Toothless's stomach.

Toothless squealed and dashed away instantly, leaving Hiccup standing in a cloud of dust. He watched in disappointment as Toothless spun around at the opposite side of the cove, eyes rolling white and head jerked high.

"Sorry, Toothless." Hiccup called out, hurrying to toss the blanket over the saddle. "We won't… we'll just stick with the halter, alright?"

The horse whickered in scorn, stomping his feet against the dirt in annoyance.

"I know, I'm sorry." Hiccup apologized before plopping back down into the grass. He paused, then peeled off his shirt and tossed it aside, heading towards the small lake.

Toothless watched closely, eyes wide.

"I'll just take a quick swim." Hiccup cooed in reassurance. "I smell like sweat, blood, and Snotlout. That idiot _wreaks_." Hiccup laughed quietly before tugging off the rest of his clothes and jumping into the water, shivering at how chilled it was.

He dove under and popped back up, scrubbing at his hair. He slid back under the water, hoping to adjust to the cold faster if he stayed beneath the surface a few moments longer.

Under water Hiccup heard the loud splash as a heavy body hit the waves, and he couldn't help but smile to himself. Toothless couldn't resist a swim.

He resurfaced and grinned smugly at the stallion standing before him, the horses main and face dripping water. The halter was soaked and hung limply off his face, but he seemed to ignore it for the most part.

It was dark by the time Hiccup climbed out of the lake, shivering and freezing cold from the frigid night air. He hurried to clothe himself, huddling under the horse blanket as he shook from the chills.

He was such an idiot.

He knew it wouldn't be a good idea to stay out all night in such cold, it felt near to forty degrees. So with a regretful murmured goodbye, Hiccup stood and stepped forward to grab the halter. But Toothless shook away, head held out of reach as he glared sharply.

Hiccup withdrew his hand with a shrug, not about to fight the stallion if he wanted to keep on a piece of tack. So after placing the saddle and blanket in a safe spot beneath some trees, Hiccup crawled back up the canyon wall. He winced when the chilly breeze hit him full force, and with one more call of goodnight Hiccup dashed off towards town.

He clomped up the porch steps to his house, hesitating at the door. He actually felt… half-way confident after the days events. Although he was ticked off to no end with his father, at least now he had a small grasp on the strings of hope. He hadn't hauled him off for shooting Alvin's hand, he'd _supported_ him.

 _For the first time in years_.

Hiccup cranked the door open and stepped inside, sliding it shut behind him silently. Not a light was lit, so with small steps he tip-toed to the steps.

"Hiccup."

He jumped in alarm and slammed back against the wall, barely having enough time to grab onto a picture frame that threatened to fall. He spun back around to face his father, eyes wide in alarm.

"Do you have to sneak up on me like that?" He hissed, straightening the picture. "I could've broken that-"

"Where have you been all day?" Stoick asked lowly, eye brow twitching from the faint candlelight he held in his hands.

"The Forge, where else?" Hiccup replied with a roll of his eyes, gaze trained on his Dad's large shape. "Why?"

"Astrid mentioned something about you disappearing." Stoick looked away, suddenly looking awkward. "Listen, about today…"

"I don't want to talk about it." Hiccup interrupted quickly, hand fumbling for the steps railing. "Please, today was a-"

"I wanted to apologize." Stoick said gruffly, and so low that Hiccup almost missed the words. He froze, going rigid as he turned slowly to stare in shock at his father's face.

"I'm sorry for not… I was being thick-sculled." Stoick went on, face taut in clear reveal that this was painful for him to say. "I should've been more considerate."

"To Colt?" Hiccup asked in a mixture of confusement and shock.

"Colt, and you." Stoick rambled the last words, fumbling awkwardly with the candle busily. "You did good out there today, son."

Hiccup flinched, eyes sliding shut. He forgot to breathe momentarily, feeling like perhaps this was what the end of the world felt like.

 _You did good out there today, son_.

"Hiccup..?"

"Do you mean it?" Hiccup whispered fearfully, eyes opening to stare. "Or did someone put you up to it? Are you saying it just because I actually shot a gun, because I'm not a total waste of time you thought I was? Or are you just saying it because you love me?"

Stoick blinked owlishly, face drawn. "I…"

Hiccup waited, face hardening the longer time spanned. "I should've known." He hissed, then turned on his heal and stomped up the stairs.

"Hiccup! Wait- hold up…"

"Shut up!" Hiccup called back angrily, heart pounding in hurt and head spinning. "Please- I've had enough of this I can't-"

"You're my son! That's why, that's why I apologized, because what I did and said was wrong!"

Hiccup slammed his door shut, sliding the lock closed as he Dad's voice drew closer.

"Please, Hiccup, listen to me, _please!?_ "

"Now you know how it feels." Hiccup cried out.

"Would you listen to me? You're my son, and I'm sorry about what I did." Hiccup thought that through the door, his father's voice sounded almost frantic. But he turned away, knowing differently.

"I…" Stoick's voice trailed off. "I'm sorry."

Hiccup squeezed his eyes shut and leaned tightly against the door, emotions wrecking his mind and heart. He inhaled deeply, relaxing as he exhaled.

"You'll have to prove it." Hiccup got out through gritted teeth. With a final shove he stepped away from the door, stepping over to his dresser. He pulled out his shirts until he reached the bottom, where he pulled out a small sack of money he kept hidden there for emergencies. Tugging the strings undone he pulled out ten cents worth of coins, then stomped back to the door.

He swung it open and dumped the coins against Stoick's flabbergasted face, growling: "There's your money for my rent, I'll be moving out as soon as I find a place to stay."

Stoick shook his head and raised a hand to block the door, opening his mouth to say more. Hiccup hastily shoved the door shut with a quick twist of the lock.

"Hiccup Haddock!" Came a muffled shout from the other side.

"Go away!"

He grabbed one of his clean shirts and unbuttoned his dirty one, pulling on the clean one before tugging on clean trousers. He shoved his boots off and climbed into his bed, pulling the covers over his head.

He burrowed his face into his pillow, waiting and listening until he heard his Dad's boots scuff away from the door. Hiccup sighed heavily and closed his eyes, several tears escaping regardless of his tries to keep them at bay.

He curled into himself as he let sobs tear at his throat and chest, and with mixed emotions and the settlement of adrenaline, he sobbed himself to sleep.

…

"Good morning, lad!" Gobber called out when Hiccup slipped inside the Forge early next morning. "Bit soon to be up and about, aye?"

"Wanted to avoid my Dad." Hiccup mumbled, tugging on the leather apron absently.

Gobber's movements slowed and he set the heavy hammer aside, eyeing his apprentice silently. "Hiccup, you know he means what he says, right?"

"You put him up to it?" Hiccup asked, scoffing. "Big surprise.

"I didn't. He came in and we talked for nearly two hours straight. Do you know how long it's been since he's come in to just _talk_ with me?" Gobber mused, tapping his prosthetic arm on the table. "It was like reliving old times."

"So? What does that have to do with me?"

Gobber lowered his voice, saying softly, "He said he was surprised- and proud- of how you handled yourself out there yesterday."

Hiccup shook his head. "Proud, sure. But why?"

"Because, Hiccup. You're proving to him that you can be his son." Gobber said in frustration. "Don't you understand-"

"No. No I don't. And I don't believe him, either." Hiccup growled, slamming his box of tools onto the table by the grind stone. "I'm done talking about it."

Gobber growled and flung his arms in the air, muttering in exasperation. "Just as stubborn and thick-headed…"

Hiccup ignored him, instead picking up a piece of odds and ends metal and dunking into the molding pot.

The day quickly became stuffy and hot, although it had started off near freezing temps. One of the glories of living in desert prairies.

Hiccup had enough of sweating his guts out, so he ended up tugging his shirt off in the end. He resumed his pounding against the anvil, this time just being a bit more cautious with how he moved, not wanted to burn himself. The day progressed quietly until early afternoon, just after Hiccup had taken a short lunch break to eat some food.

"Heyo, Gobber!" Astrid's voice called, followed by another feminine tone. "Ugh, shut up, Ruffnut, and go drool over Snotlout, would you?"

Hiccup tossed his hammer aside, wiping his hands on a rag as he waited for the two girls to step inside. Gobber swiped the bellows and locked them in place, hobbling towards the door to see what they needed.

"Afternoon, Astrid!"

The teen stepped inside, shoving her hat towards the back of her head, revealing her sweat drenched forehead and sticky bangs. "Repairs. I was thrown and the horse destroyed the cinch."

Ruffnut squeezed in behind her, eyes squinting to adjust to the dimmer light. When they landed on Hiccup her eyes lit up and she put on a sultry face, purring: " _Me likey_."

Astrid followed Ruffnut's gaze as Gobber walked off with the strap in his hands, heading for the leather ties towards the back. Her gaze was calm and cool as they stared at him, eyes looking pointedly at his bare chest.

He blushed red, frozen to the spot. He wondered fleetingly if he should grab his shirt again, but found himself unable under her scrutiny. He was so embarrassed he could practically feel the steam from his own sweat rising off his back. He felt like he was on fire from the shame.

Astrid blinked, jaw slackening.

"Stop ogling at my apprentice, would you?" Gobber called out from the back, laughing raucously. Hiccup jumped in distress as he spun around, plucking up his shirt and tugging it over his head.

Ruffnut groaned sadly.

Astrid elbowed her hard as her eyes found a new resting place on the ceiling, her gaze blank and expressionless. Hiccup bit his lip hard in his extreme nervousness, hands shaking as he picked up his tools once again. No matter how much she frustrated and angered him, he would never get over his feelings towards her. He went dumb and silly around the girl.

He ducked his head, focusing on bending the poor neglected horseshoe frantically as a distraction.

"Now that's a tough strap." Gobber said stoutly, tossing the piece of leather back into Astrid's hands. "For something special?"

"Rodeo next week." She informed, tossing the strap over her shoulder. "I was put in charge of the equipment, apparently. And supplying the broncos."

"Clance bringing in his bulls again? Those things get rowdier every year." Gobber chuckled, slapping his hand against his stomach. "If I had me two arms and legs, I'd give them a shot. I used to be top bull rider back in my day!"

Astrid shook her head, eyes twinkling in amusement as she glanced him over skeptically. "I'm sure you were, Gobber." She teased lightly.

"Mildew still refuses to bring in the sheep, though." Ruffnut added with a pout. "So that means no sheep tying or mutton busting for the kids. Which is totally unfair, since those are the only two things Tuff and I are allowed to do!"

Gobber snorted. "Now, _that_ might just be a good thing."

"What about you?" Astrid suddenly asked, causing Hiccup to jerk his head up in surprise. Even though his name wasn't mentioned it was clear she was questioning him.

"Me?" He echoed.

"You doing rodeo this year?"

Hiccup double-blinked, then broke into quiet laughs. "Me? In a rodeo? Please, I'd be dead faster then you could say Jehoshaphat."

"I wouldn't say that, because those muscles clearly say something differently." Astrid added, those words quickly sending Hiccup into another fit of furious blushing, while Gobber choked laughter behind his fist. Ruffnut nodded enthusiastically.

"And maybe that'll shove Snotlout in his place. He's signed for bronco and bull riding, but every year he either cheats or bribes his way to victory. Spitelout's not a very honest rodeo holder." Astrid added with a sharp glare at nothing in particular. It was obvious what she thought of the Jorgenson family.

Gobber nodded thoughtfully. "hard to believe he and you are related, aye, Hiccup? Like for one, you actually take baths, while Snotlout goes months- and I swear _years_ \- without touching soap."

"He's disgusting." Hiccup mumbled in agreement.

"You two are related?" Ruffnut asked in surprise, slamming her fist on the table. "And why did I not know this?"

"Distant cousins, through marriage, right?" Astrid confirmed, to which Hiccup nodded.

"Well you two certainly are… different." Ruffnut said thoughtfully, eyes raking Hiccup's shake. "Tall, skinny, and cute against fat, lazy, stuck-up, and short."

Hiccup fumbled awkwardly with his hammer, desperately wishing the girls would either leave or change the topic. Fixing this awkward social problem, Hiccup picked up the horseshoe and stepped into the back room.

"I think you scared him." Gobber chortled.

Hiccup blushed harder, slumping into one of the kitchen table chairs where he fiddled with a half eaten apple left there. Pixie lifted her head from he place under the table where it was semi-cool, face smiling and tail wagging joyfully.

"Why me… _why me…_ " Hiccup groaned, running his hand through his hair in exhaustion.

Pixie blinked and licked his hand, sitting up to rest a paw on his knee.

"Thanks for the support, girl." Hiccup murmured, rubbing her head fondly. "But I'm stuck. I gotta find a place to stay, Astrid's acting weird, Gobber won't shut up, and my Dad's… I just don't know." He sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair, unsure and confused.

"I could sure use a mutual toothless friend about now."

* * *

 _*A horse bit is a metal bar that's attached to a bridle, which slips inside a horse's mouth between their teeth. It's used to help control and direct the horse._


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9.**

Hiccup tossed the last few tools into the box on the counter absently. A glance towards the window told him it was long past nightfall, much too late for a visit to Toothless's cove. He'd have to bring double feed tomorrow or that horse would be ignoring him for days straight.

With a heave he tossed a sack over his shoulder, a sack he'd filled with tools and leftover leather supplies for the saddle he hoped to craft for Toothless. He whistled for Pixie before grabbing a lantern off the shelf and stepping out the door.

Town was quiet, excluding the two saloons of town. Each of those buildings were emanating loud music and boisterous drunken laughter, making Hiccup wince on thought of the aftermath of such activities. Who knew what ruckus would happen in a few hours.

In some ways, he was glad he wasn't a deputy. In others, he worried that Snotlout was one of those idiots sitting in the saloon surrounded by barmaids.

Pixie settled on the porch step, worn and hollow from her many other naps taken there. Hiccup gave her head a little rub of affection as he stared down the door, hating the thought of entering the house.

He opened the door silently, grateful that the hinges seemed to be on his side that night. Crossing the threshold was proving a bit more difficult in heavy boots, but he hastily kicked them off at the mat before tiptoeing to the stairs.

Hiccup hastily shut his bedroom door and locked it once he made it to the safe confines of the room, breathing a heavy sigh of relief. He let the sack slide off his shoulder and onto the floor with a clatter. He figured he'd work on that in the morning and finish it up so he could go off to the cove later on in the day and give it another shot.

He first wanted to try bareback, maybe Toothless would be a mite more comfortable with that.

He flopped into bed with a grunt, staring up at the ceiling in thought. Trying to decipher his future was problamatic and confusing at the least, and thinking on it only resolved in depressing him.

So with an exasperated sigh Hiccup rolled over and doused the lantern.

…

"Knock, knock!"

Hiccup jerked his head up in alarm at the sound of Snotlout's voice just outside the Forge's entrance. He glanced to Gobber who lazily ambled to the door, guffawing a reply.

"Apparently the sheriff wants Useless." Snotlout relayed with a pop inside with his head. He eyed Hiccup doubtfully, sending Hiccup into a bout of panic.

"What for?" Hiccup croaked as he set aside his tools and tore off his apron.

"How should I know?" Snotlout grumbled. "All I know is that I am not a messanger boy, and that's how he's treating me."

"Finally." Hiccup mumbled as he stomped past his arrogant cousin, ignoring him entirely when he called out a few suggested commands.

He plowed past the others in the streets, trying to blend in and being surprised by the amount of ignorance he received. No one bothered with him, no one spoke to him. Unlike any other person would, he welcomed this response.

Entering the jail wasn't going to be as simple, he wagered.

The twins were shoving each other and wrestling when he finally arrived at the building, watching the so called deputies in discuss. Fishlegs was just across the street sweeping off the sidewalk before the post office, giving a little wave of greeting from his watching place.

Hiccup gulped nervously, and with a prayer that he survived he ducked inside the darkly lit building.

"What is it, sheriff?" Hiccup muttered with a short glance his father's way. The man was sitting behind the desk, hands folded and elbows resting on the wooden desktop.

He looked up quickly, beard twitching. "I need your assistance."

"Mine?" Hiccup asked sarcastically with a twirl tap of his fingers. "And for what? Slop bucket cleaner?"

Stoick frowned but didn't make any comment on Hiccup's sarcastic twits. "No, Alvin refuses to tell who's ordering the attacks. I thought you might have some ideas on how to get him to talk."

Hiccup looked towards the only two cells the town had, the one being occupied by a giant hulking lump on the bed, obviously Alvin. Glancing back to his father, Hiccup sighed and grabbed the ring of keys off the wall, apt on leaving the room as soon as possible.

"Alvin!" Hiccup called with a toss of the keys. The man on the bed jumped with a yelp, flopping off the scrawny cot and onto the floor.

"Oi, you?" Alvin hissed. Eyeing Hiccup carefully he shoved himself off the floor, towering over the young man by a good foot. "What is it, Stoick? Sent your little twerp to do the dirty work?"

"Shut up, Alvin." Hiccup grumbled. shoving the keys into the lock he swung the door open and stepped inside, knowing in the back of his mind that this wasn't the brightest idea.

"Oh, now what is it?"

"We need to know who, where, and when your "boss" is, Alvin." Hiccup said calmly and evenly, keeping his voice level. "You're going to tell us. Care to share before this gets tough?"

"I turned down your father." Alvin laughed with a slap of his knee. "You think your puny shape's gonna make me talk?"

"No. No I don't, Alvin." Hiccup smiled leisurely. He turned back to the door, only to catch Stoick watching them carefully.

"Which is why I'll offer you a free drink at the best bar in town. I'll even give you one to the _Corset_ …" Hiccup twitched an eyebrow, knowing that the thought of women was enticing to the disgusting man.

"You're ridiculous." Alvin chortled. He leaned against the bars of his cell, arms crossed. "I'm not saying anything even if you offered my all the gold in town."

"Then what would you say to a hanging?"

The room fell silent, and had a pin dropped it would reverberated throughout the space. Alvin's jaw gaped, while Stoick half stood in protest.

"Son, we need him alive-" Stoick growled.

Hiccup looked to him, glare livid.

"Yeah, you wouldn't dare. I'm your ticket to information." Alvin laughed, but it was weak.

"Stoick told me to do what I had to, and since you're not up for answering questions, seems you're worthless." Hiccup picked at his fingers leisurely, trying to look unbothered by this situation.

"Shut your trap." Alvin growled.

"If you want to live, tell us the name of the guy behind the raids." Hiccup demanded shortly, slamming against the bars. "Tell me, or I'll sign the petition for a hanging."

Alvin sneered, rotten and broken teeth only inches away from Hiccup's face. "I will not tell."

Hiccup waved a hand towards his father, who grumbled again before pulling out a filing paper, dunking his pen in the ink well and beginning to scrawl words across the page.

"You sure you don't want to talk?"

Alvin watched with obvious fear, before hissing quietly. "If ya think it's a man, you're wrong."

"So you're working under a woman, then?" Hiccup cracked a grin as he stepped away. "I'm surprised, Alvin."

He merely grit his teeth.

"What's her name?"

"We call her Red." Alvin muttered under his breath.

"Last name?"

Alvin shoved away from the cell door, marching back to the cot. "How should I know!? She's never told us!"

"What's her plan? Why the raids?"

Alvin fell silent. With a heavy sigh he slouched onto the cot, shrugging. "Mideviel Renewel is what she calls it, but that's all I'm saying." he fell back and crossed his legs, closing his eyes.

Hiccup looked to his father who nodded gratefully. He'd scrawled the information on the paper so it was not to be lost.

Hiccup tugged at his stetson, shoving it back onto his head. He turned to the door where Snotlout was now leaning, piece of grass in his mouth.

"Leaving so soon?" Snotlout snorted. Hiccup shoved passed without emotion or care, figuring it to be too much trouble to give him notice.

"Hiccup!"

He paused and turned back, staring stony faced at his father.

Stoick gestured towards the cell where Alvin pouted, flashing a little smile. "Thanks for the help."

Hiccup blinked, then nodded with a tip of his fingers to the rim of his hat. His eyes were trained on his father even as he began walking down the sidewalk.

"That was strange." Hiccup murmured subconsciously. He rubbed the back of his neck, but didn't stop. Continuing he made it back to the Forge where he picked up the work, hoping for extra time to finish the saddle.

...

It was two days later by the time Hiccup slid into the cove, newly crafted saddle in his arms. Toothless trotted up instantly, although gaze weary when he caught sight of the tack.

"Hey, Bud!" Hiccup greeted cheerily. "Ready to try this again?"

Toothless huffed and gave himself a harsh shake, sending dust and dirt poofing in the air.

"Oi, watch it." Hiccup teased. He gave the horse's head a pat before carefully lifting the blanket, well prepared this time should Toothless spook again.

As expected, Toothless sidestepped uncertainly. Hiccup quickly grabbed his halter and held him steady. "Whoa, boy, hold it. Is just a blanket, I swear it won't hurt you."

Toothless quivered, but his head lowered ever so slightly. Ears flicked cautiously, gaze stern and unsure.

Hiccup grinned reassuringly. He tried it again, carefully lowering the blanket onto Toothless's back. He flinched but didn't jerk away like Hiccup had been dreading. The outcome was better then he'd hoped.

"Good boy…" Hiccup smiled and pat the horse in praise. "See? Told you it wouldn't hurt."

Toothless eyed him critically, then turned to sniff the saddle. It was clear that piece would be a different story entirely.

"Ready?"

His expression clearly stated _No_.

"Too bad, we have to do this eventually." Hiccup picked up the saddle, so light that even he didn't have trouble carrying it about. Weighing a little over fifteen pounds, it was a good ten pounds lighter than the average saddle.

Hiccup let Toothless give it a good smell over, and thankfully he didn't seem to disturbed by it. So with a quick prayer Hiccup flung the piece of leather over his back.

It was so quick Hiccup didn't have time to register what just happened. One moment Toothless is there, sniffling quietly and the next he's zipping away at the other end of the cove, leaving Hiccup in the dust.

He coughed weakly in disbelief.

"Well, you still don't like that, do you?" Hiccup guffawed with a cross of his arms. Toothless whinnied proudly.

Hiccup tipped back on his heels thoughtfully, trying to think of some way to let the stallion get used to weight on his back without… taking off like that. His mind wandered back to Astrid and her hard core ways of breaking a horse.

Seemed to be his last resort.

So with firm tug on his vest, Hiccup stepped forward fearfully towards the black horse against the wall. He was watching Hiccup in puzzlement, not at all intimidated by his louder walking.

"Alright." Hiccup waved a finger. "Now, Toothless, listen here. I'm about to jump on your back like the idiot I am, so please try not to get me killed if at all possible. If you decided to throw me, do it in the grass, rather than that rock over there. Okay?"

Toothless appeared to be laughing, or considering the offer. Hiccup wasn't certain.

So with only a slight hesitation, Hiccup grabbed a handful of Toothless's main. With two light skip from the neck towards the back, Hiccup jumped aboard.

He unintentionally gave a cry of alarm when Toothless bolted, sending him slipping to the side. Grappling desperately for Toothless's main Hiccup clung on for dear life, marveling in the feeling of the powerful muscles pumping beneath him, carrying them swiftly across the ground.

Toothless whinnied shrilly in panic or enjoyment, again, Hiccup couldn't tell. He looked up sharply, and it was his turn to scream in panic at the sight of the cove wall growing closer.

"Toothless!" Hiccup cried.

The horse was wild in fury, and without even faltering Toothless leaped, stumbling up the lean wall and suddenly, Hiccup found himself surrounded by endless prairie.

He hung on fiercely, hands in a death grip on Toothless's main. He wasn't about to let go anytime soon with the speed they were pursuing. Much faster and he wondered if they'd take off for the skies.

Toothless was huffing, his legs pounding, and his head bouncing up and down as they ran. It was so surprisingly smooth, that Hiccup began to relax, feeling the strength and courage to lift his head and take in the scenes around him.

It was truly breathtaking.

Toothless was galloping so fast that the grass and like objects were zipping by in a blur, but the feeling… the feeling of freedom around them was amazing. Like nothing Hiccup had experienced before.

Right now he felt like he was on top of the world. Like nothing could get in their way.

Toothless screamed in clear enjoyment, picking up even more speed. With a whoop Hiccup joined the call of the wild.

"Ahhh this is amazing!" Hiccup called, waving his hand in the air. He closed his eyes, breathing in steadily as the smile refused to leave his face.

So this is what true happiness felt like.

* * *

 _A/N: My apologies for the short chapter. I just feel bad for not updating in awhile so thought I'd drop this off here. I love you guys, thanks so much for the feedback!_


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10.**

It wasn't until a week later that Hiccup began to feel the smallest hints of contentment. While his life was still the silent hell-hole it had always been, somehow, it was satisfying. Toothless had grown steadily better over the passing days, allowing Hiccup to climb onto his back without a hitch now, and listened to his directions with just a little bit of his own mind thrown in there because that horse truly was untamable.

The town was abuzz with the upcoming rodeo. Even with the insisting nightly raids on not only ranchers and farmers, but store-keepers as well, everyone was in high-spirits. The young brash teens especially, wanting to prove their strength and superior in the sport.

Hiccup had been surprised to receive a pamphlet in the mail with Astrid's signature scrawled at the bottom. It was an entry for the rodeo, one that he tucked away in his breast pocket to show to Gobber later on. Not that he was considering it by any means. No... no, not for him... right?

"And how are you today, laddie?" Gobber called out cheerfully. Limping over, he slapped the young man on the back heftily in his usual morning greeting. "Got us a boat-load of work to do. Apparently Scott brought in his bunch of sheep for tomorrow and wants us to take a look a their hooves. Which, I'm going to leave to you. Can't stand the sight of mutton unless it's on my plate."

Hiccup shook his head and grinned, tugging out the pamphlet and tossing it into Gobber's hands. The blacksmith jumped in surprise before grabbing the paper, scanning through it quickly.

He looked up slowly. "You doin' this?"

Hiccup scoffed. "Of course not, Gobber! You know me better." His face fell absently as he narrowed his eyes, not certain himself.

"That was convincing."

"Well," Hiccup grabbed the paper and placed it back in his pocket, turning to the Forge and sitting on the billows, building the fire. "it would sure prove my Dad."

"And prove him _what_ , exactly?"

"Something? That I can ride a bull?" HIccup wiggled his eyebrows. "How 'bout it, huh?"

"A bull!? Are you out of your mind, boy?" Gobber shook his head, and for a moment Hiccup thought he was just teasing. But when he swung around and stared stern-eyed into his face, he knew he was dead serious. "You'll get yourself killed."

"I was thinking more on the lines of a bronc." Hiccup mumbled. "I have more experience with that, heh." _Toothless has given me more than enough practice._

"I still don't like it."

Hiccup didn't reply, simply picking up the sheers and stepping out the side door. Greeted by a small flock of noisy and smelly sheep, he wrinkled his nose in distaste.

"Now that looks like fun."

Hiccup fumbled with the sheers, nearly dropping them in his surprise. Whirling around to face Astrid, he merely smiled and blushed in turn.

"Yeah, Gobber refuses to even look at them."

"I don't blame him." She sniffed. Her Stetson was pulled low of her eyes, covering her bangs from view. Her lips were placed thin, no hint of emotion displayed. Hiccup watched her a few moments more before sighing and swinging his leg over the rickety fence.

"You doing the rodeo?"

"No."

Astrid grunted again. "Why _not?_ You afraid?"

Hiccup ground his teeth and leaned back, turning his head to eye her skeptically. "No, I'm not afraid. I just don't have the energy for the ridicule is all."

One side of her mouth went up in a smirk. "That doesn't sound like a good excuse. But alright." She stepped away from the fence and readjusted her hat. "See you."

Hiccup watched her walk slowly out of sight down the sidewalk, her boots clicking and spurs jingling. His eyes fell, realizing how much he wanted to prove her wrong- or maybe it was to prove her he was good enough. Good enough for "friend" materiel.

And, in his dreams, more then that.

He dusted his hands off on his jeans after going through the sheep carefully, all seemingly fine. What could you do for a sheep anyways? It had a bad foot, not much he could do for it.

Hiccup threw the tools back onto his work bench as he re-entered the building, sidetracking to the Forge where he began molding horseshoes. Gobber was somewhere in the storeroom cursing the trash he kept walking into, emphasizing Hiccup's monthly statement that Gobber should just clean up the darned thing already.

"Hiccup?"

 _Great._ Hiccup frowned and looked up through his bangs, eyeing Stoick carefully. "Yeah?"

His father blinked, before clearing his throat and consciously adjusting his belt. It looked like a nervous gesture, something very out of place on the sheriff.

"Just came to see if you still live at the house. Haven't seen you in days..."

"Nice of you to care." Hiccup hefted a saddle off the fence rail and slammed it on his table, grabbing a pliers and prying at the metal disks on the seat. "But I'm alive, so better luck next time."

Stoick grimaced. "If you think I want you dead, you're wrong."

"But _not_ far off."

Hiccup jumped in alarm when the table shook drastically from the sheriff's fist. Looking up fearfully, he let the painful silence suspend between them.

Stoick's eyes were narrowed, grounding him. "I want you to know, I came here because I was genuinely concerned."

"And since when is _that_ a priority, Dad?" Hiccup hissed. Furiously resuming his work on the saddle, he jammed the pliers angrily.

"Since you shut the door in my face as room and board." Stoick snapped. He looked up, glancing side to side as though worried someone might hear him. "We need to talk."

"No we don't. And we won't." Hiccup tried to calm himself to a nonchalant stance, but he couldn't help but shake in both anger, grief, and just a tinge of fear. "To you I'm just another one of the kids here in town for you to order around."

"That's not true and you know it." Stoick growled.

Hiccup braced his arms against the table, hanging his head and shaking it in exasperation. "And how would I know that?"

The silence was almost suffocating. Watching his Dad gape and gabble for words was just another blow. His father was never speechless, so when he was, you knew it was severe.

"Just leave." Hiccup murmured. Turning to the back room, he disappeared inside.

For a moment, there wasn't a sound from the Forge. Next he heard the heavy clomp of boots against the dirt as his father left- until he realized that they were growing closer again.

"I'll be waiting at the house for you tonight. Better be there or I'll send the twins after you." Stoick said softly outside the door. "Please, give me a chance, Hiccup."

 _Why!?_ Hiccup wanted to scream. To rip out his hair. To punch a wall. Do anything to just straighten out this mess. How he wanted to cave in, believe that his Dad actually meant it. But another part of him knew that the words were false measures.

But for what? His father would gain nothing over them just "talking". Unless he had a deal to propose. Unless he needed someone on his side.

Lowering his head into his hands, Hiccup sighed shakily. The steps faded out until he knew Stoick was gone for real this time. Falling back into his chair, he pet Pixie absently.

"I just want to leave." Hiccup stared at the floor, refusing to let any tears fall. "I need to get away from this."

...

Hiccup hardly comprehended what he was doing until he was already half way to Toothless's cove. He had a sack flung over his shoulder, saddlebags under his arm, and Pixie at his heals. He'd withdrawn from the bank and closed his account. What was he _thinking?_

Hardening his reserve, Hiccup marched on. The anger rekindled into a strong flame, one that just stated that he needed to leave before he went crazy. And before he changed his mind.

It was pitch-black, and the night was turning chilly. His coat seemed suffocating however, making him feel trapped and unsure of his last-minute decision.

But he didn't stop. Continuing he walked so blindly he nearly stepped right off the edge and into the cove. If it hadn't been for Pixie's warning yip, he would've taken an ugly tumble.

"Good girl." Hiccup whispered as he rubbed her head. Sitting down, he slowly skidded down and into the cove, hoping Toothless was still there and hadn't decided to take off on him.

Much to his relief, the horse was standing drowsily in a far corner under one of the overhanging trees in the shadows.

"Toothless." Hiccup murmured, smiling for the first time that day. "Hey, bud."

He held out his hand, but froze when Pixie barked loudly in alarm. Toothless whirled back in a panic, pacing between the tree and the wall as he whinnied shrilly.

"Pixie, cut that out!" Hiccup called out. Turning about he scrambled up the wall, grabbing the small dog and soothing her to a quiet growl. "Girl, what is it?"

She suddenly bolted out of his arms and to the other side of the dark cove. If it hadn't been for the white splotches on her coat, he would've lost sight of her within a couple of feet of her escape. Watching her disappear inside one of the trees, Hiccup took off after her when she let out a howl of distress.

"Gosh, Pix-" He slid to a stop, eyes wide and heart pounding.

Astrid stepped out from behind the brush, dragging the yipping Pixie along behind her. She let go of the dog without care, her eyes instead fixed on Hiccup's frozen shape.

He swallowed, his throat so thick he feared he'd suffocate.

"A-Astrid... wh-what are you doing here?" Hiccup laughed onerously, rubbing his hand in absent try-to-act-natural pose against his arm. "It's a little late to be... to be out, huh?"

"And I could say the exact same thing to you." She replied calmly. She fiddled with her gun belt, then with her vest, until she looked up again, straight into his eyes. Her blue ones seemed to radiate suspicion. "What's with the horse."

"Wh-what horse?" Hiccup laughed, mentally kicking himself for how unnatural it sounded. "I don't see a horse. Pix you see a horse?"

The dog huffed as she continued to watch Astrid with caution.

"The horse that's in that cove. The one that you were approaching. Who, what, and why is it in there?"

Hiccup blinked, mind scrambling to find an excuse.

Before he could, Astrid was suddenly swinging over the edge and into the cove. He could hear Toothless's panicked shrieks, instantly making him snap back to reality. He jerked to follow and stop her before she got herself killed.

"Astrid, no, wait!" He ran up behind her, but already he could see Toothless galloping in protective anger. His eyes were rolled white, his nostrils flared and body shaking. And he didn't look like he was about to stop anytime soon.

"NIGHT FURY!" Astrid screamed. Turning, she suddenly tackled Hiccup to the ground. Having no idea why in the world she'd do such a thing when an upset wild horse was attacking them, Hiccup struggled to get her off.

"Astrid, let go of me!"

She did so, much to his surprise, letting him propel himself forward when he'd prepared to lunge. Not having time to give her a glare, he jumped to his feet and extended his hands to Toothless while whispering soothing words.

"What were you thinking!?" Hiccup whispered harshly. Astrid just stared up at him in disbelief, watching as he resumed to pet Toothless' face in a calming manner. "Astrid!?"

"It's the Fury." She said, tone filled with shock. "How are you doing that?"

Hiccup didn't look at her, instead keeping his full attention on keeping Toothless calm. Finally, once Toothless deemed the situation safe enough, he backed up a few paces. Albeit slowly and hesitantly, his eyes were soft.

Hiccup glanced to Astrid, biting his lip. "Astrid... Toothless." He gestured to the irritated horse. "Toothless, Astrid."

She blinked, and in that moment she was gone. Scrambling and trying to climb back out of the cove, she slipped with a yelp and fell back against one of the tress, turning frantically to face him.

"No, no don't! You just scared him is all-"

"Scared him!?" She squeaked. Waving a finger, her eyes narrowed as she bent to retrieve her hat. "That horse is dangerous. He's unbreakable."

"Yes, yes he is." Hiccup shot back. Resting a hand on Toothless's quivering hide, he lowered his voice. "He'll always be."

"Then what-"

"But not untamable." Hiccup ran his hand along Toothless's neck, until he reached his chest. He easily pat him, and yet the horse stood surefooted beside him. "In fact, I'd say he's been a better friend to me then anyone else ever has."

She was blinking, her face was blank. She scuffed her boot against the dirt before looking away. Pixie was still sitting up on the ledge, watching the two humans.

"I don't get it." Astrid finally said, whipping her head to stare him in the eyes. Toothless jerked his head up in surprise, but merely snorted in agitation. Hiccup was in awe that he hadn't bolted, that he hadn't even budged away from his side. Somehow, he knew he wasn't about to either. _Even_ if Astrid pulled out a saddle.

"What?" Hiccup prompted.

"I couldn't even get within twenty feet of him without that beast trying to rip my head off." Astrid rubbed her arm slowly. She looked slouched- defeated. It was unsettling to see her in such a state. She was always so... strong and brave. Always had a comeback.

She lifted her head, her eyes on Toothless. "Yet you can lay a hand on him without him even flinching. I don't understand it at all."

Hiccup gave a breathy smile, following her gaze to the horse beside him. He slowly pet Toothless's soft nose, yet Toothless still refused to take his eyes off the girl. He was tense, waiting for just one wrong move before taking her down.

"Yeah, well. I don't own spurs or a whip."

Astrid looked to him, eyes large and luminous. Before, they were filled with suspicion, cautiousness, even a bit of dislike. Now, they were filled with wide-eyed wonder. It made his heart flutter in a way that it had never had before.

"I don't get it." The warmth left in an instant, replaced by that same cold and rock-hard girl he'd always known. She crossed her arms and leaned back.

Hiccup grinned before taking a hand full of Toothless's mane, and with two jumps flung himself onto his back. Extending his hand, he smiled and motioned for her to take it.

"What?" She grumbled.

"I wanna show you something."

Moments passed without a response, until he thought she was going to refuse. She moved away, ignoring his extended hand entirely and instead simply resting her hands against Toothless's side to get on herself.

He skidded to the side with a wild whinny, while Hiccup hung on tightly and murmured comforts. He looked to Astrid doubtfully, resting his hand on his leg.

"I'd suggest you just accept my help."

She grunted but grabbed his hand tightly and swung aboard. She touched his belt lightly for something to hang onto, obviously keeping her distance as much as possible. Yet, even that light touch had him blushing and distracted.

Toothless wasn't at all pleased she was on his back, snorting and stepping about in displeasure. Pixie was standing now while barking to add to the chaos.

"Toothless still- bud!" Suddenly, the wind was hitting him full force in the face as the horse took off. Flashbacks to his first ride flitted through his mind as he hung on desperately for dear life, and Astrid's once so slight touch turned into a death grip around his waist.

"You're such an idiot!" Came a scream against his ear.

Hiccup rolled his eyes as Toothless slowed to clamor up the cove wall. With all four feet on solid ground again he was off once more, running madly across the flat prairie.

Astrid was hanging on tight, both arms and legs. She screeched again when Toothless lunged over a small ditch, jostling them upon landing.

"Make him stop!" She screamed. "I'm sorry! Horse, I'm sorry!"

Toothless jerked to a stop, sending both Hiccup and Astrid spilling to the ground. He grunted painfully upon the impact, groaning loudly when Astrid landed on top of him, effectively forcing the air from his lungs.

"By thunder! You are such a- were you _trying_ to get us killed?" Astrid rambled angrily from above him. Hiccup huffed as he tried to breathe, finding her anger the least of his problems at the moment. Where was Toothless anyways?

Something nipped his hair, answering his question. Looking up the long face of his horse, he gave a short glare. "Thank you for nothing, you useless mammal."

Toothless huffed in his face with that horsey laugh of his, before turning and butting Astrid in the rear. Cartwheeling her arms she lost her balance and fell back in the dust, streaming a string of curses.

"Hiccup-"

"Well, I think he's forgiven you." Hiccup muttered, getting to his feet while dusting himself off. He spotted Astrid's Stetson not far off and hurried to grab it, dusting that off as well. "Here."

She snatched the hat quickly and slammed it on her head. Turning back to the calm Toothless, she glared sharply.

"Come on, let's give it another try." Hiccup urged. He climbed onto Toothless's back again, nodding for her to join him.

She hesitantly reached out and touched his side, but this time, Toothless didn't even blink. She appeared to hesitate, before rolling her shoulders in silent revolution as she jumped up behind him. Hiccup smiled and was about to nudge Toothless on when two arms wrapped around his waist. Flushing hotly, Hiccup cleared his throat and clucked Toothless into a walk.

"S-see? He's... he's just fine." Hiccup reassured to fill the awkward silence. She didn't reply.

Toothless broke into a leisure trot, then a lope as the stars began to appear. Pixie was running alongside as Toothless rocked smoothly over the prairie, as gentle as any broken horse Hiccup had ever ridden.

He smiled proudly as he gave Toothless a fond pat on the neck. Toothless stretched his head and snorted- almost majestically- as he picked up the pace.

"He's amazing." Astrid whispered. Hiccup turned his head to see her staring up at the sky, smile light and happy. He'd never seen such an expression on her face before, and it made him giddy to see it.

"Yes he is..."

She grinned at him, eyes bright and playful. He marveled at how changed she was from her normal gruff and tough self, with no care or emotions to be seen. Here, she was still that girl, but... _different._ Happier.

Hiccup felt her rest her chin on his shoulder, and instantly he tensed up in amazement. Relaxing, he smiled shyly as Toothless carried them to the top of the hill to Raven's Point, giving them a wide-spaced view that spoke volumes without using any words.

* * *

A/N: _Sorry for the late updates. I've been really really struggling to write lately, as you can see above. I've been working on this chapter for the past few days and nothing has really... improved. Needless to say I'm not very proud of this chapter at all. But I felt horrible for not updating, so here you go. :)_

 _Thank you so much for the feedback, it really helps me to keep writing- especially when I'm going through these rough patches of writer's block. So, thank you again, until the next update!_


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11.**

Hiccup guessed it to be around midnight by the time he, Astrid, and Toothless arrived back at the cove. Toothless huffed calmly as the two climbed off his back, Hiccup pulling out a small pouch of feed as a treat.

"So what now?"

Hiccup went rigid, unsure of himself. He had no idea. Astrid knowing about all of this was not in the plans at all, and only resulted in complicating things further. He finally gave a soft shrug of his shoulders.

"I have no idea."

He continued to feed Toothless from the palm of his hand while gently running his fingers through his mane, while Astrid remained silent behind him. There was the sound of moving cloth and footsteps, before Astrid spoke again, softly.

"What is this?"

Hiccup glanced back, noticing the saddlebags and packs she held in her hands. He blushed and gnawed his lip. "I...I was planning on taking off, but then you came so..."

"Taking off? You weren't going to leave were you?"

Hiccup shrugged again. "There wasn't much holding me here, Astrid. In fact, I really didn't have anything but Toothless here, and now that he's well I figured it would just be best for me to leave."

"Why?"

"Why?" HIccup turned around, playing nervously with the small bag in his hands as he shook his head. "Because, my Dad hates me. The town hates me. I get beat up constantly by Snotlout and his cronies. I can't shoot a gun and-"

"Now that one I _know_ is wrong." Astrid rebuked sharply. "You shot Alvin in that canyon, blank shot, and you were a good fifteen-twenty yards away."

Hiccup snorted. "Great. I can shoot on a one time deal."

Astrid tossed the bags aside and dusted off her hands before letting them rest on her belt, looking heavenward as she shook her head. "You're exhausting, you know that, right?"

Hiccup rolled his eyes with a blush. He didn't know what she meant.

She paused, tapping her boot in the dust before sighing. "Alright, would you please stay for a _little_ bit longer? Just stick around for the rodeo and prove all those bastards wrong." She stepped closer, blue eyes glowing in the moonlight. She gave a half a smile of encouragement. "I know you're not weak, Hiccup. You just rode that monster of a horse without falling off while _I_ was struggling. You didn't have an issue with it." She leaned back on her heals smugly. "I have a feeling you'd win that rodeo fair and square, then you can rub it right into little Snottykins face."

Hiccup stared at her in bewilderment, blinking owlishly in his shock. He couldn't understand it. He thought she'd thought him worthless- she'd never said otherwise- just like the rest of the village. Did she only change her mind because he'd befriended the Night Fury? Was that why she didn't' want him to leave?

"Why are you doing this, Astrid?" Hiccup asked quietly. He needed to know, because he felt very intimidated right about now.

She sighed heavily and folded her arms, looking one way then the next, before looking up from beneath of the brim of her hat, almost shyly. She stepped even closer, until they were only inches apart. "Why do you think I invited you to have a meal with me? Do you realize that... I've _never_ done that before with anyone? For one thing, it's because I can't cook to save my life. But Hiccup... _agh_ , darn it all, I liked you, alright?" The last part seemed to be spoken in frustration. That rough way of hers that came off as tough and gravelly, but her body language spoke more than her voice did. She was shifting from one foot to the other, and her hands wouldn't still.

Hiccup couldn't believe it. Maybe he was dreaming. He pinched himself to be sure, amazed when he opened his eyes she was still standing before him, staring at her boots.

She sucked in a loud breath before continuing, voice deep in that embarrassed tone of hers, that again sounded uncaring, but he realized it was just her way of expressing her awkwardness. "But, you know, whatever. Y-you can go, I don't care..." She tugged her Stetson lower with a harsh tug, tipping her two fingers at him. "I'll just leave then."

Hiccup snapped out of his shocked daze, jumping forward to grab her hand desperately. "What!? No- no, don't leave, Astrid. I... I just didn't know and you surprised me is all. Ah, honestly, I thought you hated me."

"Why? I helped you get away from Snotlout, punched him right in his smug jaw for what he did, helped you home. Invited you into my house for a meal... why did you think I hated you?" She demanded shortly with a cross of her arms. "I don't just do that for _anyone_ , you know."

Hiccup stared at her as a smile slowly spread across his face, wider and wider until he wondered if it would split his face. He was so flabbergasted and amazed that he feared he might faint from it all. Releasing her hand, he fiddled with his vest nervously. "Astrid, I'm sorry."

She watched him guardedly. "For what? Neither of us should be sorry; I'm just confused."

"Well- for that, ya know. Sorry for confusing you." Hiccup laughed awkwardly. Clearing his throat, he gestured towards her roughly. "Ah, I just... um, what now?"

"You enter the rodeo, I'd say." Astrid grinned and socked him in the shoulder, taking him off guard and almost wiping him off his feet. "Sorry-" She grabbed his arm and steadied him, laughing quietly.

Hiccup shook his head as he slipped his hand in his pocket, pulling out the pamphlet. "I don't know... I'll probably end up embarrassing myself."

"You have good survival kicks. Obviously, or that horse would've killed you." Astrid nodded towards Toothless, who snorted in denial.

Hiccup stared at the piece of paper wistfully, before looking up slowly. "You really think I can do it?"

"Yes." Astrid said firmly.

Hiccup sighed with a smile, but nodded. "Alright, I'll do it."

Astrid smiled at him, and he grinned back. Suddenly, in a blink of an eye, she leaned forward and grabbed his shirt collar, planting a quick peck of a kiss on his cheek. She pulled back just as fast, it all happened in one moment it left him in a stunned silence. "I'll... um, that was a thank you. For taking me on a ride on the Fury." She gestured awkwardly towards Toothless, who mirrored Hiccup's movements by staring hard. She cleared her throat, mumbling a goodbye before turning and taking off, grabbing onto a hanging tree branch to swing up and disappear over the ledge.

Hiccup absently ran a hand over his cheek as he stared off into the distance, while Toothless narrowed his eyes in exasperation and snorted against his ear. Embarrassed, he turned around and stared him down defiantly. "What are you looking at?"

Toothless huffed and turned away, giving Hiccup a light swat in the head with his tail as he stalked away. Humans were confusing.

...

Hiccup had never felt so... light and carefree in all his life. He actually felt _happy._

Getting up early was the daily routine for him, and as he tiptoed past his father's room he was grateful to hear the loud snores emanating from within. There was only one person who could destroy his good day, and that was the sheriff.

Hopping outside while still tugging on his boot, he gave Pixie a quick pat on the head before trotting down the steps. He pulled out the pamphlet and stared at the form, ready to sign it as soon as he reached Spitelout's saloon to hand it in.

He whistled cheerfully as he waltzed down the back alley, faltering when he reached the stables. Blushing at the thoughts from the previous night, he swallowed thickly and continued on.

"Where are you going?"

Hiccup yelped and stumbled to a halt as he turned to see Astrid leaning against the fence rail, smirking with a nod of her head. "You going to sign up?"

"Yes..." Hiccup replied awkwardly, his voice a mere croak in his flustered state. Clearing his throat, he tried a smile.

She straightened up and waved for him to follow, turning back towards the stables. "Come on in and I'll help you. I think I've got a pen somewhere in one of my junk drawers."

Hiccup followed her willingly back through her door into the small space she called home. She began digging through stuffed drawers filled with papers, spurs, and slips of leather until she pulled out a pencil, easily slipping out her pocket knife and sharpening it in a few quick seconds. She went to the table where he'd rested the paper.

He took the pencil and scrawled his name quickly, before hesitating above the selection.

"You have to do bronc." Astrid urged. "Will you doing bull riding too?"

"No, I'd like to remain in one piece." Hiccup murmured sarcastically. Quickly he finished the rest of the info before handing back the pencil and folding the slip, pocketing it safely.

He turned to say thanks to his companion, only to pause as she stared at the pencil, thoughtfully. Glancing back up, she eyed his hands. "Which hand do you shoot with?"

Hiccup blinked in confusion. "What?"

"I said, which hand do you shoot with?"

Hiccup stared in confusion, before lifting up his right hand hesitantly. "My... right?"

"And you write with your left." She murmured. After a moment she broke into a quiet laugh, looking up with dancing eyes. "Hiccup, no wonder you can't shoot! You've been using the wrong hand." Pulling out her gun smoothly, she tucked it into his left hand before grabbing his other and tugging him back outside, rounding about the corrals to the empty fence. "Shoot that post." She directed.

Hiccup shook his head in bewilderment, but did as she told. Lifting the gun he aimed carefully at the very top of the fence post, before pulling back the trigger. The top of the post pinged as Astrid lunged forward, grabbing the post and eye-balling it carefully. She hooted and looked up excitedly.

Hiccup was frozen in his position, staring at the post, then looking at the gun in his hands. It was a dead shot right in the middle.

"Oh my gosh." He whispered.

"My hunch was correct." Astrid stated happily as she made her way back to stand beside him. "You've been shooting with the wrong hand this entire time, Haddock."

"I can't believe it."

"Believe it." She nudged him in the arm. "Maybe you should sign up for the sharp shooting competion too." He glanced down at her, noting the jest in her expression. He smiled shakily, thoroughly thrown off by this new discovery.

"Well, I'm guessing you should go off and get that slip in before the day is too old, and I suppose you have work to do." She took the gun from his hands and dropped it back into her holster, adjusting her belt in satisfaction. "See ya- maybe we could go and see Toothless later today."

Hiccup laughed before lifting his hand to rub the back of his neck. Suddenly, he went still before grabbing her arm urgently. "Toothless is a secret. You can't tell anyone."

"I figured." She nodded towards main street with a small scowl. "Snotlout wouldn't pass up an opportunity to nab the Fury- or any of the night raiders, for that matter."

"Thanks, Astrid."

She tipped her hat before walking past, leaving Hiccup in the dust staring at the fence post, dented by his bullet.

After dropped his slip off at the saloon, receiving a shocked look from the bartender, Hiccup continued on to Gobber's. He spotted Snotlout in the distance and hastily ducked behind a building, reminding himself to take the back route.

The work day was so slow that Gobber let him off by noon. Hiccup happily took the opportunity and grabbed a saddle and halter, anxious to tell Toothless the news, and maybe practice his shooting some more in the canyon. He hesitated in the Forge's back room, staring at his gun still resting on the barrel. With a half smile, he grabbed that too and hid it in his saddlebags.

Slinging the bags over his shoulder along with the halter, he continued on his path out of town. He paused at the stables, realizing that Astrid was probably still working, so went on without her. He'd come back in the evening and see if she still wanted to go.

"Maybe not." Hiccup murmured, doubt shadowing his resolve. Before it could envelope him he shrugged it off without a problem, picking up the pace as Pixie trotted at his heels.

He was half way there when he heard hoof beats sound behind him. He tensed up and bit his lip anxiously. He had no clue what to say to anyone who questioned where he was going with a saddle in his arms, a halter on his shoulder, and no horse. Fear overtook next when he realized it could very well be some thief ready to rob him blind and-

He turned about, hand already fumbling to find his gun. He went still, however, when he realized it was only his new friend, coming to a standstill beside him from atop her tall horse; Stormfly.

"Is it okay if I come with?" She asked in that I-don't-give-a-care tone. But her eyes spoke volumes.

He smiled and nodded, handing up the saddle when she motioned to him with her hands. She settled it behind her own, giving him a hand up to ride double.

"I'm sorry if I seemed like a jerk." She said randomly after a long stretch of silence. "I haven't been very kind to you- or anyone, honestly- over the past few years."

"It's fine." Hiccup reassured. He was just happy she was willing to hang out with him. It was... amazing what the companionship of another person could do for someone.

"No, no it's not." She insisted stubbornly. "I just want you to know... I regret it. I really do. Because you don't and didn't deserve anything you received."

"Honestly, I've grown used to it, it's no big deal."

She remained quiet, before she took a deep breath and shook her head. "My parents died six years ago. It's hard to... really care about someone. And I know that's no excuse for my actions, but... I just wanted you to know."

"I do." Hiccup murmured. "And really, it's not a big deal. I'm just glad you... you're willing to put up with me."

He could tell, even from behind, that she was smiling. "Well, it's not hard to do." She twisted around to stare at him seriously. "You're a nice guy, Hiccup. And... I'm going to help you get Snotlout and the rest of the town off your back."

She turned away before he could reply, leaving him in a stunned silence.

For the first time in a long time, he didn't feel alone. A best friend over the course of a few months, and now, a new friend from just two days.

* * *

A/N: _I know this chapter is short, especially after making you guys wait two months for an update. But I felt like this was a good place to end the chapter... especially with what's in store for the next chapter. So stay tuned, and thank you guys so so so much for all your wonderful feedback! :D_


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12.**

It had been a long time since he'd been this nervous.

Hands shaking, nerves shot, and a restless night, Hiccup was sure he was going to die on the spot. He wore his worn out chaps and battered hat, with a plaid green shirt and trousers. The get-up didn't help him any.

He wondered if his Dad would be there. Of course he would, he _knew_ he would, he always was. Somehow, that only managed to make him freak out even more.

"This is crazy." He whispered, running a hand through his hair and under the battered hat. He stared at the cracked mirror with a shake of his head, almost unable to believe he was going through with this crazy scheme.

His Dad would kill him. Most likely because he thought he'd make even more of a fool of him.

Hiccup's eyes narrowed and his heart hardened. Well, he was definitely going to show him- show them all.

But... man, he wished Toothless was there. Just someone to talk to who didn't talk back, telling him what he was doing wrong and point out his mistakes. Even Astrid absently pointed out his flaws without even meaning to. It was just in her tough nature.

He deflated a sigh. Turning to the door he clomped out and down the stairs, picking up his lasso on the way. Might as well get this done and over with.

Pixie jumped to her feet and loyally trotted after him. But, unlike normal, he didn't speak to her. His jaw was clenched from the nervousness of it all.

Town was bustling with activity, people from all around coming for the big day of the year. This event was also a time for travelers and ranchers from long distances to pick up supplies, leaving the stores jam packed with people and the smithy a bustle of activity. Hiccup scuttled towards the shop where Gobber was hobbling about at a maddening speed.

"Good Thor, Hiccup! About time you showed up. Here" A random cinch was thrown at his chest. Hiccup grunted as he caught it, studying the dented metal curiously. "Fix that- there's a barrel of harnesses in need of repair against the wall awaitin' for ya!"

Hiccup sighed. Great.

He set the cinch on his work table as he moved towards the said barrel, carefully looking through them and inwardly cringing at the amount of work that needed to be done. There was no way he'd finish all of the repairs and make it to the rodeo.

He retracted his hand, leaning over the side of the barrel as he wondered. For some odd reason, he wanted to keep it all a secret. It would probably be easier that way. Then, he realized with a deflated sigh, that Spitelout had probably spread the news all about town by now. He looked up at Gobber.

"Hey… uh, I was wondering if I could get off early today."

"Won't be closed until high noon when town'll be empty! I have a rodeo and auction to announce." Gobber stood back and wiped his nose with his hook. "I need someone to stay here and keep the work going. I'll pay ya extra."

On any other occasion, he would'vet aken up the offer in a heartbeat. But today…

"I can't- Gobber. I'm in the rodeo and I need to be off by eleven to go check in."

Gobber had swung around and was bustling by the far wall, but as soon as the words were said his back went stiff and his movements ceased. Hiccup swallowed nervously as the blacksmith turned around, his eyes wide but his jaw tight.

"You what?"

"I entered. Astrid convinced me-"

Gobber was suddenly marching towards him, and while the loud man had never hurt Hiccup before- or even hinted at it- he couldn't help but take a few involuntary steps backward. His hands shook as they wrapped around his chest, but Gobber came to an abrupt halt. His eyes widened and his stance relaxed. Hiccup dared to look up into his face, relieved to see the shock and worry in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Hiccup." Gobber grumbled as he grabbed some tools, although Hiccup knew he didn't need him. He was covering up for his unspoken act. He turned and hobbled back to his position at the Forge. "I… You know I don't agree with such a thing. The rodeo's a crappy place you don't want to get involved with."

Hiccup grunted and tentatively moved away from the wall, grabbing the edge of the barrel again. "It's just one time, Gobber."

"You dunna understand." Gobber swung back around, but this time remained standing where he was. In all of Hiccup's apprenticeship, he'd never seen such a stern expression on his face until now. "I know what'll happen, Hiccup. Don't take this the wrong way, but there's a lot of stupid people who dislike you. Snotlout, for one, and he's going to be in the back out of sight of the crowds- it's not going to be fun."

"Astrid said she'd come in the back and help me." Hiccup protested quietly.

"Astrid!?" Gobber waved his hook. "Since when are _you_ and _Astrid_ so chummy?"

Hiccup bit his lip. The words weren't meant to be harmful, but they still came out harsh. He swallowed tightly, mentally telling himself to man up as he picked up a bundle of leather. "Since a few weeks. She's been one of the only people to treat me kindly- well, as kind as she knows how to. She convinced me to join the rodeo for… reasons." Hiccup muttered under his breath as he dropped the leather onto his table a bit harder then necessary He slammed the metal bits on the table in frustration.

Gobber didn't say anything, but he didn't have to. Hiccup knew what he was thinking. That Astrid was just playing him, and that it was all a trick.

Yet, he didn't doubt her. He trusted her.

"Either way, I don't want you in that rodeo."

"It's too late now. I entered, Spitelout knows about it, and if I don't show up he'll spread it around town that I'm a two-faced coward to accompany weak and dependent."

There was a very awkward silence that followed. It was driving Hiccup mad. He and Gobber never fought. Gobber was one of the nicer people of town. He didn't bash him, he tried to help him, and if they argued it was usually with jests or sarcasm on Hiccup's part. This time… there was nothing humorous about it at all.

Hiccup continued on as his fingers flew across the leather and metal, repairing and snapping and tying. He heard Gobber moving about behind him, yet neither of them spoke.

Pixie trotted in not minutes later, followed by another customer and order, which Gobber took quietly. Pixie loped to Hiccup's side where she plopped down on his boot, giving the back of her ear a scratch.

Hiccup sighed and glanced up at the beat up clock leaning against the wall. It was still early morning, leaving him with a good three hours of work ahead. He'd let the topic drop for now, but when eleven o'clock rolled around… he was going to be at the corrals and not the Forge.

…

Hiccup hung up his apron, hoping to maybe sneak away without Gobber's noticing. But just as he was about to slip out the back door, Gobber walked into the room, hand and hook on his hips. He stared Hiccup down, before calmly untying his apron and slipping it over the peg. The sounds of the Forge had died down to a soft hum.

"I don't like this. Not one bit." Gobber stated. "But it's not like you ever listen to me anyways."

Hiccup tried to smile, hoping to brighten him up a bit, but Gobber's face remained firm. He sighed, his shoulders wilting.

"Just don't come crawling back here when- _if_ something happens." Hiccup looked up, recognizing that tone. It was Gobber's way of saying he did not agree, and he wasn't happy about what was happening, but he'd let him do it. And it was the direct opposite of what he actually meant. Hiccup knew the blacksmith would be open for his return.

"Thanks, Gobber." Hiccup grinned and slapped his Stetson over his messy hair, before rushing out the door with Pixie hot on his heels. He trotted to a walk when he reached the corral, overwhelmed by the amount of people surrounding it. People had wagons backed up against the fence for people to sit on, with square straw bales stacked in random places. It was havoc to accompany the wild cries of horses and hoots of men. Pixie lifted her head and dashed off, probably smelling some scent of food.

And those sheep were bleating like their life was about to come to an end. Hiccup would've tugged his hat down over his ears had Astrid not showed up at that moment.

She was out of breath as she squeezed out of the crowd, stumbling clumsily to his side where she bent over her knees breathing heavily. "Good Sam, that place is a death trap." She looked up, her face smudged with dirt, as were her clothes, and her hat lay askew on her head. She sniffed and straightened, not bothering to dust herself off. Hiccup shuffled his hands against his legs, the first case of jitters taking hold.

And it was _terrifying_. Why did he fight Gobber for this? It probably wasn't even worth it in the end.

"So… what now?"

Astrid grabbed his arm and began leading him further away from the crowd towards the paddocks where pens had been assorted with saddled horses, unhappy broncs, and lazy bulls all waiting for their turn to amuse the town. The further they got towards the gates the drier his mouth became.

"Hey- Miss Hofferson- Astrid, um… I don't think I can-"

"Nervous? Here." A canteen was suddenly shoved in his face. Hiccup scrambled to grab it before it fell.

They slowed by a less occupied fence, where only one other cowpoke was tugging on the rope tied to it, preparing for the ride. Hiccup peered into the canteen curiously. "Is that liquor?"

Astrid guffawed loudly. "I'm not that stupid! It's lemon water. Always helps me calm before a ride."

That was the first time Hiccup had heard Astrid admit that she was occasionally scared. The more time he spent with her, the more he realized how human and... flawed she was. And dang it all, it was making him like her even more. She wasn't just a fantasy like she'd been to him for so many years.

He took a swig of the drink, but didn't find it helped him at all. He wanted to jump from one foot to the other, maybe run some laps, scale a cliff- do _anything_ but get on some trussed horse and ride into that ring.

A hand patted him on the back, and he realized it was his companion. Astrid was grinning cheerfully as she handed him a rope, tying the other end around the metal bars. "You look like you're about to faint. Just take deep breaths and remember that none of those people's opinions matter, gotcha? Pretend they're all... donkeys or something."

Hiccup chuckled, the image of his father as a donkey an amusing picture. His smile disappeared.

His _Dad._

He was even more strung up now, his nerves nothing but a bundle of fear.

"Alright, give it a tug."

He did as she told, not really paying attention to what he was supposed to do. His mind was far too busy panicking and thinking up the worst case scenarios. The best thing that could happen to him besides living was if he died in the ring.

"Hey!" Astrid waved her gloved hand in his face, snapping him out of his trance. "You still with me? You still want to do this?"

 _No._ "Y-yes." Hiccup's voice shook. Perfect. Just when he thought he'd gotten over his stuttering.

Astrid didn't look convinced, that playful atmosphere and excitement gone from her expression. Instead, she puckered her lip and looked away, taking the rope from his hands. "Like this." She demonstrated, then handed it back to him. "Use your left hand."

The next forty-five minutes were terrible. Nothing but tense sitting around and listening as Gobber did the auctioning off. His name was the very last one to be called, and he could hear some voices nearby saying "That was a mistake, right?". It only made him feel more terrible.

Astrid had gone off, saying she had some business to take care of. He forgot what she said. But by the time Gobber finished with his name only ranking at twenty bucks, she returned, plopping into the dust beside him.

She waved a slip of paper. "Twenty down on you! I would've put more but I have a rent to pay this month."

Hiccup smiled halfheartedly, embarrassed and proud that she'd sunk money into his ride, but too overwhelmed to say anything.

Her hand fell into her lap as she fiddled with with the paper. They remained silent, as they'd done for the last hour. Hiccup picked his hat off the ground and twirled it in his hands.

He held his breath when Gobber's voice announced that the first thing to ride would be barrels, and he was both relieved and distressed. Even longer to wait.

"Hiccup?"

He lifted his head jerkily to stare up into the speakers face. He panicked and wanted to jump to his feet to bolt like some scared foal, but instead, he forced himself to remain where he was, trying to remain calm. He looked down to Astrid, who nodded her head respectfully.

Stoick crossed his arms, eyeing them both. "I heard your name. Gobber explained to me what's going on."

Hiccup blinked, wondering if that was all.

Of coruse it wasn't. Stoick leaned closer, whispering under his breath. "You're insane, son!" Hiccup flinched. "You'll be torn apart- and not by the horse. Snotlout's already laughing."

"Who's fault is that?" Hiccup mumbled.

Stoick faltered, before sighing and straightening. "But... I am proud you're giving it a shot."

Hiccup froze. He didn't look up, didn't move, didn't even breathe.

 _I am proud._

Those words resounded in his head on repeat for what felt like hours, but when Stoick spoke again, he realized it had been mere seconds.

"Good luck. Don't kill yourself." Stoick tipped his hat to Astrid, and with that spun and walked off, leaving Hiccup in a stunned silence. Astrid didn't say anything. In fact, she just casually leaned back against the fence and tugged her hat over her eyes.

Hiccup looked over to her, finally getting his limbs under control as he continued flipping and scrunching his Stetson. He wondered if she knew about his Dad and their relationship... but if she didn't, he was not about to tell her.

"That was nice." She suddenly said out of the blue. Hiccup look down at her, wondering what she meant. One eye peaked out from beneath the hat's rim as she smiled. "I don't think I've ever heard him say something positive in a long while."

Yep. Those were 'positive' words coming from Stoick the Vast. In a twisted way... that was kinda sad.

"Yeah... yeah." Hiccup's face broke into a wide grin as he settled back against the fence.

"Next category! Bronc Ridin'!"

Hiccup slammed his head against the post in his haste to jerk to attention. He yelped and gripped his hair as he twisted to look up at the chutes, his heart jumping to reckless speed limits as he remembered- _he_ was at a rodeo, and _he'd_ been stupid enough to sign up.

"Hey, hold up! You're last to go, Hiccup, so just settle down, it's fine."

Hiccup pulled his legs against his arms, not at all reassured. "I-I think I should go watch."

Astrid tilted her head. "Watch? You sure that's a good idea?"

Hiccup was already getting to his feet, ignoring her protests as he jogged out of the corral and the side of the fence. He shoved past a few men until he reached the fence, watching as Gobber called out Snotlout's name.

Astrid came up beside him, resting one of her feet on the bottom rung. She looked over to him, but he didn't look back at her.

He was terrified.

"Snotlout Jorgenson, first ride! A hundred at stake." The gate burst open and a speckled grey burst into the paddock, with Snotlout on his back. Hiccup watched as the horse bucked and struggled against his rider.

The bell dinged just moments after Snotlout went tumbling to the ground, but it was a high score to beat. Snotlout hopped up without a problem and lifted his arms triumphantly. Hiccup frowned when their eyes met, and Snotlouts smug smirk made his blood boil. Jitters aside, he wanted to beat him.

One by one, the riders flew out and fell as the bell rang time and time again after each run. Snotlout was still at the top, with some out of town cowpoke below him, and Colt under that.

Third to last, Astrid gave him a nudge. "Alright cowboy, time for you to get up into a chute."

Hiccup allowed her to grab his wrist and lead him up the ramps. She left him there with Gobber, who silently grabbed a girth and tightened it around one of the stallions. The horse was big but narrow, wild, just like the rest. Many years ago when he'd been only ten, he'd asked his Dad where they got the horses, for he'd never seen any of them in town before until the rodeo. Stoick had explained that the cowboys went out and wrangled them the day before, and that they'd be let go the day after rodeo. If any were injured, they'd be kept for a saddle horse.

Hiccup bit his lip, hoping no one would be hurt this year. He wanted to see all these horses released.

Gobber handed him the rope, eyeing him carefully as he commanded, "Be careful." And with that he grabbed Hiccup's arm and helped him down into the chute. The stallion was very unhappy by his situation, making getting settled onto his back ten times more difficult. Most of these horses had never been touched by a human, much less ridden by one.

"Hiccup Haddock, last ride!" Gobber announced. Hiccup, through the din of the ringing in his own ears, thought he heard some booing. One was particularly near. Snotlout.

"Good luck."

And with that, the chute door flung open, and the horse was plunging out into the open. Hiccup clung tightly to the rough rope in his gloved hand, his other flying in the air above him. His teeth were clenched tightly to keep himself from biting his cheek or tongue.

The seconds ticked longer then minutes, but the horse was wild and angry. He ran and bucked at the same time, nearly throwing Hiccup off more then once. It was still four seconds till the bell, and the horse's wild screeching was more then Hiccup could take. He risked unclenching his jaw and saying in a low voice, a tone different to the noise about them so the horse could hear. "Shhh, it's going to be alright. Just a few more seconds-"

The bell rang shrilly, and in an instant two horsemen were running alongside the wild horse and pulling Hiccup off his back. He released the rope and scrambled for the buckle to take the equipment off, finally finding the latch and giving it a tug. The leather fell away, giving the horse comfortable freedom. He felt the release and slowed to a lope.

"Hiccup Haddock, topping number one!"

Hiccup's ears rang from all the ruckus. but the crowds were clapping and the sound was much better then any music he'd ever heard. It meant he'd actually done something right.

The man let go of him, letting Hiccup jump onto the ground. He plucked his hat out of the dust and gave it a shake, wearing a grin a mile wide the entire time.

"Cheat!"

Hiccup flinched as he looked up to see Snotlout waving his fist furiously from the ramp above the chutes. Their eyes met, again, but this time Snotlout wasn't as smug.

"Cheat! I call cheat-" Snotlout was cut off when Gobber thumped him over the head with his hook. The boy fell back with a howl as his hands went to cover his hat.

"I'm the judge, and when the bell rang the lad was still on the horses back. There's no foul!"

Hiccup didn't know what to do but walk off, too afraid to turn and acknowledge the people in the stands. People were settling down now, anyways, eager for the next segment of the day.

"There you go, Haddock! I told you!" Astrid shouted from her place on the fence. She was standing on the top ring, leaning far over and waving her hat in the air, one of the most enthusiastic people in the crowd at that moment. Hiccup smiled and blushed before looking away. His Dad was standing beside her, arms resting on the fence, a smile behind that beard.

Hiccup had never felt prouder then he did in that moment.

* * *

 _A/N: Good times, aye? But good things don't always last. :P :D_

 _Thanks for all the support and feedback, and I promise you I'm not gonna just up and leave for two months again. ;) I'm hoping to update soon, so, see ya in the next one! (Also there's news we might get a HTTYD 3 trailer this month. I'M SO READY)_


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13.**

 _20 years ago_

"Red."

"Shut up." The hefty woman spun on her heal as she stomped away. "I am so sick of your... crap!" She spit the cigarette out of her mouth and ground it in the dirt beneath her boot. There was the jingle of spurs behind her, but she chose to ignore it. The man was hardly sober, had an empty gun, and ten bags of loot sitting at his feet.

Why the heck did she love him.

"Please, Red, let me explain."

She swept around as she raged. The lean man took a step closer, causing her to pause and stare him in the eyes from beneath the rim of her hat. "You killed two people. And not ONE of the people were who I assigned you to kill!"

"Assigned!? If you think it's such an easy task of killing Stoick the Vast, why don't you go out and prove it!? That Grounder nearly got me in the shoulder."

With a huff she rolled her eyes before looking away. "I thought I could trust you."

"You thought you could _trust_ me!? I asked for five other men and instead you sent them off on a folly mission."

"I was protecting you!"

"NO YOU WEREN'T." His voice rose higher then she'd ever heard it before, riveting off the walls of their hideout and sending the echoes to vibrating without. She swallowed and remained silent, having never ever seen him talk to her in such a way.

And he wasn't done. "I almost _died_ , because you thought me some invincible hero."

"That's not true." She denied in broken anger. She almost wanted to cry, something she never did.

"It is." He tossed the satchels at her feet. She looked up in shock, noting the wetness behind his lids as well. This was like any other fight they'd ever had, right? Angry and empty words shot in the heat of the moment, then they make up. Right? This wasn't any different?

"I love you." She defended. "I _love you_. You know what killing Stoick would do for us? I thought you loved me."

He looked away with a shake of his head, smiling sarcastically. Turning back, his smile disappeared. "If you truly loved me, you wouldn't send me out to _die._ "

Anger twisted in her gut, and a feeling of desperate hopelessness she'd never felt before. She was always in charge, she always had a grasp on what happened or what was to happen, and this... this was not in her plans. And there wasn't anything she could do to stop it. Because even if she wanted to, she couldn't kill him. She just couldn't.

"I hate you." She hissed. She didn't mean a word of it, but it was the only thing she could come up with. As in her usual defense, she wanted to grab the gun at her hips.

"Same to you, ma'am." He growled. Neither moved, both tense like two bobcats ready to pounce.

In that instant, two shots rang out from above them. Red instinctively grabbed her pistol and twisted around, firing three shots of her own. As quickly as it started, it came to an abrupt end. Red breathed heavily as she turned around and peered through the cloud of gun powder smoke.

"Who is it!?" She called, her own voice repeating itself in an echoing path down the tunnels. There was the sounds of a shuffle, the large dome-like structure of the cave not allowing any movement to escape her hearing. She smiled and twisted deftly to aim towards one of the overhanging cliffs above them. "I know you're up there." She called in a sing-song tone.

"Is that you, Stoker?"

"Sure as heck is." She pulled the trigger, recognizing that voice anywhere. But the bullets bounced harmlessly off the stone, the smoke and dust making it impossible for her to shoot what she couldn't see. She hissed in irritation, wondering why Wilder wasn't helping her out. She froze, her mind flashing a million warning bells when she realized why he'd remained silent this entire time. Wilder might be a hopeless idiot at times, but he was a brave idiot.

"No." She hissed. She heard the sounds of scuttling and realized Stoick was getting away, but at the same time, she didn't care. She flung the gun away and rushed through the dust and spoke in search of him, only to nearly trip over something heavy, like sand bags, lying on the ground. She let a sob catch in her throat, the natural reaction painful. It had been year since she'd cried. Not since she was a child.

"No, no, _no_." She repeated over and over again, her hands trembling as she reached for his shoulders. She rolled him over, flinching back when she saw the blood streaming down his forehead and over his lifeless eyes. Cringing away, she stumbled back in shock and horror.

"No. NO. Nonononono..." She felt the wall meet her back, where she stopped. She stared in absolute terror at his prone body, while the foreign feeling of her cheeks tingling from salt water overcame her. She let a sob seize her chest.

"No." She repeated hoarsely. She moved closer again, letting her hand fall to rest against his still-warm and bristly cheek. She smiled tearfully at happier memories.

"I'm sorry." She murmured. Tugging him into her arms, she pressed her face into his neck. She could feel the thick hot blood sliding against her skin from his wounds but she couldn't care less. Hugging him close, she whispered a farewell.

"I love... _loved_ you." She hiccuped. "I promise- I swear I did. I'm so sorry." She breathed heavily, taking in the last of his sent before she slowly let him rest on the stony ground once again. "I promise, I'll prove it. I'll avenge you, and take Stoick's life myself."

...

There was a barn dance after the rodeo, but Hiccup didn't bother to stick around. Leaving the half drunken and merry bunch he silently slipped away from the crowd, still beaming from what he could honestly say was one of the best days of his life.

He hummed softly as he stopped by the Forge and picked up his saddle bags and instructed Pixie to stay behind. She looked pitifully disappointed, giving him those big begging puppy eyes. But tonight, he just wanted to be alone with the wind and prairies and his best friend.

"Stay here girl." He murmured with a rub of her head. Picking up a sack of feed and satchel of his regular supplies: a brush, blanket, and pick, he set off for the long walk.

It was a silent journey, but one that he enjoyed. Town was noisy and hectic, something he didn't favor. Fishlegs dreamed of going to the big city and finding a smart job but Hiccup... he preferred it out in the open, where he wasn't trapped or grounded. He'd experienced enough of that in his life, he didn't want to spend the time he had left like that any longer then he already had.

Toothless, per usual, knew he was coming before he even reached the cove. Hiccup grinned and quickened his pace at the sound of the soft nicker, not bothering to sit down and slide into the cove, but rather just trotted down. Toothless was waiting at the bottom, giving a happy bounce when he saw him.

"Hey bud." Hiccup greeted. Toothless' nose dove straight for the satchel. "You hungry?" He pulled out the small draw-string bag and set it on the ground for his disposal, before running a hand down the horse's neck and belly. He frowned in confusion, surprised by Toothless's wide and full belly. His stomach wasn't making a sound- unlike any stabled horse, who were constantly hungry.

"Did you get into something, Toothless?"

The horse raised his head and twisted his head about to eye him, as though saying _"I'm not an idiot."_

Hiccup's eyes fell to the ground, where he noticed hoof marks leading up to the top of the cove. He reached down and felt the dirt, realizing they'd been made relatively recent.

"You went out for food." Hiccup realized in disbelief. Toothless snorted.

"That's why you're full... but, you came back." Hiccup looked back down to Toothless' head buried in the sack, still chomping on the feed as calm as could be. Hiccup smiled slowly in amazement.

Toothless tensed beneath Hiccup's hand, his muscles bunching up and his legs straightening stiffly. Hiccup bit his lip and instinctively reached for the pistol at his belt.

"Who is it, bud? Just Astrid?" Hiccup whispered. Toothless flung his neck in the air and screamed shrilly, before shooting away in a cloud of dust. Hiccup growled before dropping to the ground, his gun in hand as he aimed carefully towards the edge of the canyon. After no or anyone made an appearance, he carefully rolled over to glance in the opposite direction. Toothless was pacing against the cave wall, his head low but eyes alight dangerously. Something was wrong.

"Hello?" Hiccup slowly got to his feet. No one was stepping forward, and the long wait was making him worry. He was ready to shoot anything that so much as moved. But what if it just turned out to be Pixie? Or Astrid?

Three bodies suddenly launched out of nowhere, dragging him back to the ground in one sharp moment. Hiccup wheezed when the wind left his body weak and helpless to his captors. Someone laughed while another caught his shoulders in their hands, tugging him to sit up before the hands slammed him against the wall. Hiccup gasped in a meager attempt to regain his breath, absolutely helpless to help himself, or even to see who it was who'd attacked, for they'd tugged his Stetson down over his eyes.

"What the heck happened today? You cheated somehow I _know_ you did." Snotlout's voice. He should've known. Hiccup almost rolled his eyes from beneath the hat.

He went rigid, remembering where they were and that Toothless just so happened to be on the other side of the cove. He was probably throwing a fit- they'd find him, his secret would be out.

"I-I- SNotlout, we have to leave."

"Why? I have you in a good spot right now. And I want answers. I lost my pride today to you, shrimp!"

Hiccup moaned when he heard Toothless's screech, along with the pounding of hooves. He knew what was coming, and everything- _everything-_ was over now.

"NIGHT FURY." Snotlout screamed. There were two other shouts and just as quickly as they'd nabbed him, they were suddenly gone. Hiccup curled up when the ground began to vibrate from the pounding of four hooves of an angry horse.

"What the-!?"

There was enough cussing in that moment to fill the firery pits of hell. Hiccup knew that meant that they hadn't escaped, but were probably trapped by a protective Toothless. And the last thing he wanted was for The Night Fury to hurt- or even kill- a human being. That would only be bad news for them both. Hiccup would probably be labeled as a murderer, especially if he was bent on protecting Toothless.

Without thought of his own safety, or of what those three idiots had done to him in the past, Hiccup launched to his feet and shoved his hat to the back of his head. Sure enough, Toothless had Snotlout, Tuff, and Ruff all dangling from the tree over the cove. Toothless was pounding back and forth below it, waiting for one of their holds to slip.

"Great! Horse, go get that scrawny guy over there!" Snotlout weakly kicked his foot towards Hiccup's direction, but Toothless paid no mind. If anything, it only made him more upset.

"Snotlout, I'd suggest you stop struggling." Hiccup cautioned, moving slowly and carefully towards his friend. Toothless calmed, his screaming coming to an abrupt halt as he turned his head to nicker softly. Hiccup smiled and lifted his hands calmly in a soft gesture. Toothless lowered his head, pressing his nose against his palm.

"What in Sam Hill!?" Ruffnut squeaked.

"This is Toothless." Hiccup addressed sternly. Turning to face the three deputies, he tucked his hand against his empty holster, his other resting on Toothless's neck. "He tends to be very protective of his loved ones, so I'd suggest you come down here and do as I say."

They stared at him owlishly from above, Tuffnut and Ruffnut both looking to Snotlout for his response. His jaw was still hanging against his chest in absolute shock.

Ruffnut huffed in exasperation before grabbing her brother and letting go, dragging him to the ground with her where they landed in a heap of gangly limbs. Toothless jumped back with a low snort, causing the Thorston's to cringe back.

"It's alright, bud." Hiccup waited for Snotlout to join them, but he was stubbornly still dangling. "Just come down, Snotlout."

"How do I know you won't just kill me?" Snotlout protested. "You have a grudge, I can tell."

"While I'd have full understandable reasons to hold a grudge, I don't. We are cousins anyways, and family feuds aren't things people should hang onto."

Snotlout grumbled. "So you won't set your "buddy" on me the second my feet touch the ground?"

Hiccup narrowed his eyes. "Only if you cooperate."

Snotlout fell clumsily, picking himself back up with a small amount of dignity. He brushed himself off before finally meeting Hiccup's eyes, but he didn't hold it. He looked away towards the tree, his demeanor aloof.

"First off, I just have a question to ask." Hiccup crossed his arms, while Toothless continued to give them death glares from over his shoulder. Snotlout's eyes flitted between the horse and Hiccup's, before he finally gave a sharp nod.

"Why do you hate me so much?"

The silence was dead quiet, almost eerily as the three gave him black-eyed stares. Toothless gave a soft whiff, making Tuffnut nudge Snotlout urgently.

"My Dad." Snotlout rushed.

Hiccup scrunched his face in bemusement. That was not the answer he'd expected. "Your... Dad?"

"My Dad wants me to be sheriff." Snotlout hurried on. "You were next in line, I... couldn't let that happen. I made you out the bad guy."

"But why?" Hiccup murmured. It hadn't been necessary. Was that what Snotlout wanted or what Spitelout wanted? And was bullying and hitting him really the best way to get what you wanted?

"Because?" Snotlout drug out the word, his tone angry. "Because of this little thing called "pressure". Or maybe bullying, I don't know." He paused, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Just... fine. Fear. Fear of disappointing."

Hiccup pressed his lips together. "Then I guess we have something in common."

The silence fell again, like a thick blanket, except for the twins who were shuffling awkwardly towards the side. Finally, Tuff raised his hand.

"What?"

"How is the Night Fury _there_." Tuffnut pointed roughly, quickly retracting his hand when Toothless took a small step forward. "And yet he's not tearing you, or any of us, to shreds?"

Hiccup gave a half smile as he absently reached a hand up to rub Toothless's neck. The horse relaxed some at his touch, his ears flicking back but his gaze remained weary.

"We were both outcasts." He answered simply. He didn't have to tell them anything, for today, they were the ones on the end of the leash.

Toothless suddenly lunged. Hiccup shouted in alarm and reached to stop him, only to be flung aside as the giant mass of horse flesh plunged towards the three intruders. The twins hugged each other while Snotlout squeaked and tried to run, but it was all an unnecessary attempt.

Hiccup watched in confusement as Toothless rushed past them all, only to desperately pound up the cove wall. Snotlout sputtered and melted to the ground in a faint, while the twins both whipped around to watch in wide-eyed shock as Toothless disappeared over the coves mouth.

"Toothless!" Hiccup screamed. Hurrying past the three morons, he tried to follow, when two shots rang out.

"OWWWW I AM HURT. I AM VERY MUCH HURT!" Tuffnut gripped his shoulder and collapsed on top of his sister. As Ruff grabbed her brother and shoved him out of the way, Hiccup scrambled for his gun, only to remember he'd left it on the other side of the cove. He glanced back hurriedly to the other three, noticing that none of them were wearing their holsters.

He growled and grit his teeth, mind flashing with a million thoughts, then a prayer as he took a wild card and dashed for the other side of the cove. Another shot rang out, bouncing harmlessly off the ground at Hiccup's feet. He dove to the dirt, caught his gun in his left hand and whipped around, firing wildly towards the cove's edge. There were the screams of horses and the sounds of frantic hooves, causing the dust to fly and obscure him from seeing how many there were. All he could see was one man hunched over, his gun aimed towards him. He fired his last shot, then got to his feet and dusted himself off, before disappearing out of sight.

Hiccup breathed heavily, not hesitating when he got to his feet and ran towards the tree. Jumping, he caught a branch and pulled himself up and over, until his hand finally found solid ground again. Crawling up onto the plains, Hiccup lifted his hand and looked about frantically for signs of his horse.

His heart plummeted. Already a good distance away were three men on horseback, with a tethered and struggling Toothless tied between them. He was trapped and forced to run beside them.

"No..." Hiccup trotted a few worthless steps, still out of breath from the rush of adrenaline. He collapsed to his knees as he watched painfully while Toothless grew further and further away, until they were mere specks on the setting horizon.

* * *

A/N: Hey there folks! Another chapter for you. The stories going to really starting moving now hehe. I hope the first bit of this chapter wasn't too confusing... I felt the need to put a bit of our villains back story in so you guys won't be confused when she enters the story. And btw, she isn't a original character of mine. If you guys look carefully enough, you'll figure out who it is (if you haven't already lol). Thank you for reading and all your feedback! Reviews are awesome. *hugs*


	15. Chapter 14

_*Stumbles out from a pile of dusty papers*_

 _So… hello. I'm back. I know I said that in my last story which was… months ago… but here I am again._

 _Life's been busy. We moved, which has been taking up a lot of my time. Jobs and school are also interfering. And as it so happens… I might have grown up (a little too much in my opinion) over the summer (shocker!). I fell out all my fandoms, and more or less just enjoyed them as movies. I quit tumlbr and stopped obsessing over characters._

 _But I feel bad for leaving you guys like I did (and tbh, I really miss being part of a fandom :( ), so, here I am with another chapter._

 _I might wind up editing this later on down the road, because I actually totally forgot where I wanted to go with this story (and FanFiction deleted the summary I had in my files… oops) so I just decided to re-read the previous chapter and give a crack at writing again. Also, fair warning, I haven't written anything in ages, so my "English" skills are pretty rusty. Best of luck to making it through this chapter. See ya at the bottom. :DD_

 **Chapter 14.**

Hiccup stood there for God knows how long, just staring. The sun set before his eyes, until all that was left on the horizon was pink sky and tentative stars.

He was angry. His stomach rolled in both boiling rage and fiery fear.

But what made him most angry was the fact that someone had tipped those thieves off. _Someone had told_. And he felt guilty for instantly thinking of Astrid. He tried to shove the doubt away, but it clung to his mind like wet cobwebs.

He could hear Tuff and Ruff chattering below, and what sounded like struggling to climb up the cove. Snotlout was rambling about how this was all the twins fault anyhow.

Finally, he blinked his dry eyes and cleared his throat. Gathering his bearings and trying to keep his frustration at bay, he swung around before grabbing a branch.

"Hiccup! Dear Hicc, might you be a good ol' chap and help us out?" Tuiffnut called out gallantly. He hugged his arm to his chest, while Ruff struggled to haul him up by his good arm. Snotlout was sulking on the ground, his arms crossed, and his brow lowered.

"You are a sorry lot." Hiccup called out angrily, Swinging, he landed on the ground with a stumble before going to grab his satchel. Shoving his pistol into the bag, he swung it up onto his shoulders and didn't even bother with the feed sack.

He stalked past the threesome before easily clamboring up the slope, just as he'd done every other time he'd come. Staring down, he had a mental struggle for several moments.

"Please?" Ruffnut offered with a smile. Tuffnut leaned against her dramatically, while Snotlout didn't say a word, his back to him.

"Fine." Hiccup finally said with difficulty. It was all too tempting to just leave them there to sort it out for themselves. However, he just couldn't bring himself to be so cruel. He had to remind himself he wasn't going to lower himself to their standard.

He fished a rope from the satchel, barely long enough to dangle above their heads. He swung the rope around one of the tree branches for leverage and tied the remaining end about his hand. Giving it a tug, he called down for Tuff to come up first.

So he hauled them up one at time, like fish out of a pond, with Snotlout being the last. Hiccup breathed heavily from the exertion, sweat tickling the back of his neck as he waited for Ruff to leap onto the edge.

She leaned over and called down. "Snot, you're next."

His voice drifted up. "I ain't coming."

"You ain't?"

"Come on SNotlout, I'm not waiting to argue with you." Hiccup insisted impatiently. He had Toothless to rescue, and if it came to talking Snotlout out of a pit where he probably belonged, or helping his captured horse, Hiccup was not hesitating to opt the second.

"I don't want his help." Snotlout grouched. "You guys wait till he leaves and hall me up."

"Proud, much?" Hiccup let go of the rope and picked up the satchel again. Hauling it on his shoulders, he looked down at Tuff who'd settled himself in the grass, but he just shrugged. Ruffnut raised her hands in a nonchalant wave.

"Whatever, man. You're on your own."

She stomped away, obviously perturbed. Snotlout let out an indignant shout from below, but none of them paid him any heed. Ruff hauled Tuffnut's good arm up and over her shoulders and began marching towards town with vigor. This was the first time the twins hadn't done as Snotlout said- or, at least as far as Hiccup had ever known. To be entirely honest, it left him rather shocked.

The walk towards town was a silent one. Hiccup walked alongside Ruff and Tuff while his mind wandered, trying to figure the best course of action between the muddled bits of the puzzle. He was still shocked something could happen so fast. One moment, Toothless was there, and the next thing he was gone. He couldn't help but think that he was the cause of it all. Toothless was only trying to protect him.

"Thanks for helping us." Ruffnut's voice cut through the gloom like a knife. He jolted a bit in surprise.

"What?"

She shrugged. "You didn't have to. I mean, if you'd been on the other end of the spectrum, we'd rather leave you there than eat a pork ham. So thanks."

Hiccup didn't quite know how to respond to that, so he just let the silence settle again. Tuffnut snored from him position against Ruff's shoulder.

"An' sorry bout your horse." She added roughly. No doubt it was hard for her to apologize. He wondered if she ever had in her entire lifetime, that perhaps this was the first.

"I'm going to find him." Hiccup said quietly. He didn't know why, it just slipped out. He felt hollow.

"'Course." She replied. And that was it.

…

He went before them easily, since Ruff was dragging Tuff it slowed her down. It was pitch black by the time he reached town, with only a few stars to light the way. He headed towards the stables, where he knew he would get help from Astrid.

He hesitated only for a moment before rapping his knuckles against her door. A few seconds later, the door swung open to Astrid in a rumpled button-up shirt and trousers. Her hair stuck out in every which way, while here eyes were half lidded.

"What." She grumbled. "It's almost midnight, Hiccup."

"It's urgent." He whispered.

She blinked, then with lightning speed grabbed his arm and tugged him inside. From out of nowhere she whipped out a math, struck it on her jeans and lit the kerosene lamp on the table. "What's wrong?" She asked, worry tinting her voice.

"Toothless was taken- I-I need to go after him but I don't have a horse. I was hoping-"

As he spoke she was tugging on her vest and grabbing her boots. He followed her about, fighting for control as he spilled the entire story.

"I'll slaughter Snotlout myself." She hissed, grabbing her hat and slamming it on her head. Her eyes held fury. "This has gone far enough-"

"No, Astrid, I need a horse." Hiccup begged. "I was hoping you could help me out- maybe I could take Stormfly."

She opened the door and headed into the dark stables, bringing the lamp with her. She talked all the while. "You'll take Bry." She gestured towards a chestnut in a stall. " _I'll_ be riding Stormfly."

"Astrid you can't-"

"I'll bet I can." She was already grabbing her saddle and opening the stall door. "Get your horse saddled."

"No, Astrid, please listen." She shoved the saddle in his arms, constantly moving, while all he could do was follow her about hopelessly. His eyes were watery, his heart ached.

She tossed a bridle over the saddle he carried. He tried again to gain her attention by raising his voice. "Astrid! You have to listen, I can't- I... please don't ignore me."

She paused and turned to face him, holding Stormfly by her halter. Her eyes softened in the dim light. "What? I ain't letting you go on yer own."

"Please. I-I have to- I... stay here and stall my father. He'll think I've run away and I don't want him following me." He implored quietly, hardly daring to whisper. He didn't want to alert Mulch or Bucket, although all things considered he doubted they'd wake up anyways. They could sleep through a hurricane.

Astrid started shaking her head, but after gathering every ounc of certainty he had within him, he repeated with all the firmness he could muster. "I _need_ to do this myself, Astrid."

She pressed her lips in a thin line and didn't say a single word for severel tense seconds. Finally, she heaved a sigh and looked away. Setting her saddle on one of the stall doors, she took the saddle in his arms and flung it up onto Stormfly's back. "Take Stormfly. She's fast, but will take the reigns if you let her get the bit between her teeth. So hang on. And-" She tightened the cinch and fed it in the leather strap. Turning towards him, she unstrapped her pistols. "If ya lose 'em I'll make sure you hang." She muttered roughly under her breath. It was an empty threat, but got the point across.

He managed to buckle them around his hips without them sliding down and off- they were a mite big- and he had to adjust the extra bullets around the top to his left side. Astrid finished tacking Stormfly with a flip of the reins.

"I wish you'd let me come." She repeated. She didn't sound angry, per se, just... upset, though he couldn't say why. He tried protesting again.

"I don't need to take Stormfly. I know she's yours and-"

"Shut up. I know she'll get you there safely. Just as long as you return the favor." She tenderly patted her horse's shoulder. The two lapsed into silence once more, while Hiccup struggled to find something to say to express his gratitude. Not to mention his relief.

He finally resolved for simplicity. "Thanks, Astrid. Truly, I don't think I can ever repay the favor."

Her face was hidden beneath the brim of her hat, and with the shadows thrown by the lamp, it was hard to read her expression. "Get your butt home in one piece." She said it so softly, he almost missed the words. It stirred something warm in his weary heart, something that sent his toes tingling.

She brushed past him without another word, grabbing the remaining saddle and carrying it easily back to the tack room. She shut the door behind her.

Hiccup turned back to Stormfly, who blinked her half-lidded eyes.

Rubbing his hand on her soft nose, he picked up the reins and settled his foot in the stirrup. Jumping up, he landed easily in the saddle, adjusted his holsters, and adjusted his Stetson.

He walked her to the tall doors at the end of the hall and unlatched it from the top. It swung open a crack, and without a bit of urging from Hiccup's heel Stormfly shoved it open the rest of the way with her nose. The half lit night met him with a soft rush of cold air. Inhaling deeply, Hiccup nudged Stormfly forward, and with one last look back, he urged her into a run.

The gentle lantern lights of town quickly faded out of sight.

* * *

 _And I can't leave without mentioning the HTTYD 3 trailer. Like, it was absolutely **amazing**. Especially the second one! Ugh I get chills every time I watch it. The music choices for the video were on point._

 _Anyhow, see you all later. Thanks for sticking with me this long. :D_


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15.**

Hiccup rode long into the night, and was still crossing the grassy terrain long into the morning. It wasn't until they began to reach rockier ground, uneven and jagged, that Hiccup began to wonder if he'd made a mistake.

This was so _stupid_. How could be such an idiot? Riding off in one direction hoping that just by chance he'd stumble over the horse thieves. How dumb could he possibly be?

But, there was a reason he'd chosen to ride North. He was headed towards the town of Krogan, aka "Outcast Island", known for it's bandit hideouts and slob saloons. He could only hope the ruffians were hiding there.

Stormfly grazed as she walked, a true trail horse in style. The hills gradually grew into plateau's, then into mountain land with high tree invested plates. They came across a stream, where he took time to rest and look within the saddlebags strapped to the saddle.

There was a canteen- which he filled with the spring water- with half a loaf of bread and some moldy cheese. He leaned against a Pine and stripped the mold away with his pocket knife before slicing pieces off to sandwich between the bread.

Stormfly lazily swatted at flies as she grazed by the stream's bed. The mountains were filled with luscious grass- the last year had made way for a moist spring in the high grounds- so while the entire of woods were filled with grass, Stormfly seemed to prefer the reeds along the water.

After finishing their break, Hiccup climbed back onto her back and continued the climb. The town was in a valley of the mountains, made prosperous from the nearby coalmines.

It was almost night fall by the time Hiccup peaked over a ridge, and below he could see the rough hewn town, crammed into one little valley that looked far too small for the town. Only a couple houses ventured into the woods. It oddly reminded him of an ant hill for humans.

Stormfly carried him down quickly, sensing that they were near their destination and eager to arrive. She loped the rest of the way until they came to the end of main at the South of town, and there he was met by a cracked, faded sign. He had to reach forward and brush away coal dust in order to actually read what it said. "Welcome to Krogan, est. 1850".

Hiccup leaned back into the saddle and sighed heavily. Gathering both the reins and his courage, he nudged Stormfly further in.

Main street was quiet, but crowded just the same. Horses lined all along the edges of the street from start to finish. Both walkway and hitch posts alike were packed by riderless horses, all tethered as their riders presumably made fun in the pubs. Hiccup wasn't even half way down main street and he'd already counted five saloons.

There was a meager little sheriff's office, with a sleeping deputy snoring outside, a bottle of booze settled in his lap. If that was the law enforcement of the town, it didn't surprise him at all that it was such a bandit city.

He didn't dare leave Stormfly on main street. He didn't trust someone to steal her away as he searched. So he brought her down one of the narrow outlets and left her about four blocks out behind the bathing house. Tethering her to a tree and giving her reign enough to graze and drink from the tub, he took off on his own.

His boots jingled and his holster slapped against his thighs loudly. Deciding that stealth wasn't about to get him anywhere, he opted for fitting in. For the first time in his life he wished for some tobacco or cigarette to help blend in with the crowd. Or maybe even a flask peeking out from behind his vest. Anything to make himself look less conspicuous.

He stepped onto Main Street, his eyes scanning down the rows of horses as he walked North. None of them were Toothless. He had a feeling the burglars weren't dumb enough to leave him on Main Street- and if they had wouldn't he hear Toothless's chilling screams?- but her persisted all the same.

He passed a rowdy bar, cringing and tugging his hat further over his head as he passed. There was the sound of loud piano music and drunken singing, accompanied by such a stench it took all of Hiccup's hunger pains away.

"Good gravy." Hiccup muttered under his breath. "How do people live in this town?"

He continued on, halting in his tracks when he caught sight of a large brawny gelding. Bulky with raggedy feathers, Hiccup recognized him in an instant.

It was Alvin's horse. Alvin, as in, the Alvin who instigated the raids back in Berk.

And he could only guess that the long row ofo horses grouped about the gelding belonged to Alvin's cronies. Were they headed back to Berk? Planning on rescuing their leader? Part of Hiccup wanted to know, the other half never wanted to see them again.

He faltered momentarily. An inward struggle of right or wrong battled within his mind. Finally, before he could change his mind, he hurried forward and began unwrapping the reins from the posts. When he had half of them undone, he smacked their rumps and sent them flying down main street in a cloud of dust and dirt. He hurried to do the others, looking this way and that to make sure no one was watching.

As soon as the last of the horses were galloping away, he ducked behind the building and looped about, coming out from behind the rugged hotel. He continued his search, trying to ignore the rampant cursing emanating from the bars.

He loops the entirety of town until he wound up back by Stormfly. Nothing. He hadn't seen even signs of Toothless ever being there. Discouragement was beginning to scare him.

"Hey girl." Hiccup whispered. He pet Stormfly's nose slowly. "What am I doing? Thor, I'm an idiot… tracking a horse in this country is like finding a needle in a haystack. Downright impossible."

She whinnied quietly.

He closed his eyes and sighed, only then realizing how dead tired he really was. Stormfly's bent head gave away that she probably felt much the same.

"I hate to say it, but I guess we'll have to stay here for the night." Hiccup spoke quietly. He bent to retrieve her reins and began leading her down the street. He'd seen a small stables by the roping grounds, and hoped they had a stall open.

The grizzly man made Hiccup suspicious, but he had no choice but to trust him. He didn't want to sleep in the woods with an unguarded horse. Not only did he fear thieves, but he feared the wolves as well.

Paying an overly large sum as down payment, promising to give him the rest when he came to pick her up, he headed back to the hotel. He hadn't even stepped onto the wooden walk ways when gruff hands grabbed him from behind, pulling him back and flinging him against the wall.

Hiccup's vision dimmed when his head met the wood with a deafening crack. He collapsed on to the ground, unable to struggle as a large- and _very_ heavy- body slammed into his spine. He whipped his head up in silent agony, writhing weakly against the larger man's hold.

"Ya got him Dagur?"

"Shet up would ya? Gimme those old rust buckets before he gets away. He looks scrawny al'ri', but good crickets he's got enough fight in him ta fit two drunkards."

There was clinging, then cold metal pressed around his wrists. Amid the ringing in his ears, and the mirky cloud of his brain, he recognized the feeling of handcuffs.

"What are you doin'?" Hiccup mumbled dazedly. He kicked his legs hopelessly, giving into the fight. Handcuffs probably meant he was being taken in by the sherrif. This was all an innocent mistake then, right? He could get this resolved.

…hopefully.

He tried struggling again.

"Stop wriggling would yeh?" The man holding him down demanded. He leaned closer, leaning hard on Hiccup's hands. He cried out as the metal bit into his wrist.

 _Click._ "Finally, dog gone it. These stupid things hardly account fer."

"What am I arrested for?" Hiccup asked breathlessly, but they didn't pay him any mind. All he heard was a grunt as the man got off him, allowing him to breath freely again.

They pulled him to his feet. The world began spinning, the lights from the saloon across the street spinning round and round, making him feel insanely dizzy. He would've tipped over had it not been for the hand that clung to his arm.

"Ye gave him quite a smack, didn't yeh?" Came the other voice.

"Thet's less then he deserves, the little devil." The gruff man holding him countered back grouchily. Hiccup decided against questioning them. It was all he could to not keel over in a faint.

They began dragging him along a wooden ground, presumably the side walks, but with the dark, and his already blurry vision, it was hard for him to tell.

They shoved him inside a building reeking of urine, tobacco, and cigar smoke. It was like walking into a wall of stale air, taking his breath away and replacing it with smoke. It physically hurt his head.

"Where do we put him?" Hiccup's vision cleared enough for him to make out the deputy he'd seen sleeping earlier, moving forward with the keys to the two small cells against the wall. In one, there was a drunkard, snoring loud enough to wake the dead. The other… under all the grime Hiccup wasn't sure if there was anyone in there or not. If they were dirty enough, they could easily blend in.

"The only empty one we've got, nit wit!" The sheriff (or, so he assumed was the sheriff) exclaimed impatiently. The deputy struggled to find the correct key. After testing all the keys- and at one point his badge- the deputy finally got the door open. Hiccup wondered if they'd ever figure out how to open it once he was inside.

"There ya go boss." The deputy slowly opened the door, his movements slow and stiff. His red-rimmed eyes could've been from the smoky atmosphere, but Hiccup had a feeling it was the alcohol.

They shoved him inside and removed his handcuffs. It took a few minutes, and enough cursing that would make a sailor proud, to get them off, but it was worth it. The cuffs were about a size too small for his hands.

The gate clanged shut behind him, locking him into the ridiculously inky dinky space. The two cells together were about the size of a one-man cell, and here he was holed up in only half the space he needed.

He turned around and leaned against the door, pressing his pounding skull against the cool (and dirty, just like everything else in there. He didn't dare touch the cot.) metal. He lifted his hand to the back of his head, pulling it away to reveal blood streaking his fingers.

He hoped he didn't have a concussion.

"Can you tell me why I'm here?" Hiccup looked towards the man who called himself sheriff. He was tall and heavier set, with a scruffy orange beard and wild orange hair. It wasn't red, like his father's, it was _orange_. He had a scar that ran from his forehead down over his eye and through his cheek. It disappeared under his beard.

He stumbled over empty cans and bottles strewn about the floor until he reached an old stuffed chair. He fell into it with a creak, followed by a poof of dust.

"Horse wrangling, I heard! Saw yer scrawny bum running off after all the trouble. Thanks to ol' Billy here. I knew I had him sleep outside fer a reason."

Billy was already fast asleep on his stool, scruffy chin up in the air and his throat bobbing with each snore.

The sheriff cackled in a manner that Hiccup would only describe as crazy. He grabbed a bottle from behind the desk and popped the cork. He jugged half of it in one go.

With a belch, he laughed again. "Poor fellers had to take off on foot! Little later I saw 'em ride by on some new horses. Don' know where they got 'em."

Hiccup rolled his eyes and looked away. They'd probably stolen them, no doubt. And the idiot sheriff didn't even bother to question that little bit of common sense.

"What's my fine?" Hiccup finally asked, struggling to keep himself awake.

"Fine? We don't do it tha' way! Ya either hang or keep yer stay, like the good ol' days."

"Those good days are awfully old for you." Hiccup muttered. His head was pounding along with ever beat of his heart. It was starting to drive him insane.

He was dying for sleep, but he couldn't bring himself to lie on that invested with who-knows-what cot.

"Can I have a clean blanket?" He finally asked.

The sherrif was busy gulping more beer. He dropped the bottle and wiped his hand across his mouth. "Wha'? Clean? Won't find nothin' clean this side of the Mississipi!" He cackled like it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard.

With a slap of his knee, his pushed himself to his feet and bent behind the desk. He opened a drawer and pulled out some sort of cloth. Ambling to the cell he tossed it against the bars, where it dropped back to the ground. He didn't bother to pick it up, but rather fell back into his chair.

Hiccup crouched and reached his hand out to grab the make-shift blanket. Pulling it in, he slowly and carefully stood, wincing with each ache of his injured scull.

He carefully picked his way to the cot, where he quickly grabbed what was once a blanket off the cot and dropped it on the floor. Bugs skittered away, tempting him to just spend the night standing instead.

He spread the blanket over the cot before lying down. His head instantly lightened, and it felt so good to finally lay down it was hard not to hum in content.

But before he could even think about how the heck he was going to get himself out of this mess, he dropped off to sleep.

* * *

What? What is this? Another update? :P

I think it was all your wonderful reviews that inspired me to write. And I know this was a short chapter- but it's longer then the last so hoorah. I'll try and make the next longer. ;)

I found the file with the summary of the story, so I'm excited to get this wrapped up! I do have quite a few chapters to go, so stay tuned.

Thanks for all your feedback! Shoutout to MarauderPrime12, thepurplewriter333, Antox, Mariah, CajunBear73, Guest, Romantica 123 and BlackFireWolf 5 for the reviews! :3 See ya guys next time. :D


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16.**

Hiccup came to his senses slowly. He thought he heard someone calling his name, but as he became more aware, the muffled faraway drumming morphed into a pounding, most likely his father rapping at his door.

When he opened his eyes to see the stained wood of the cell ceiling, he realized that said pounding was merely the throbbing in the back of his head. With a groan, he blinked, the dim light worsening his headache. Light streamed through the cracks between the dried mortar in the walls, streaming in warm sunlight. Hiccup turned his head and pressed his nose to one of the cracks, taking in the smell of fresh mountain air, surprisingly sweet and unlike the stench that'd wrought the town the night before. The breeze must've blown the worst of it away.

Hiccup's chest ached from stress and anger. Not only was he injured, but he was holed up for no gosh darned reason. Who knew when he'd get out? If the sheriff didn't accept a fee pay, he could be there until next spring.

He was really regretting the stupid decision of leaving Astrid behind.

"You idiot." Hiccup muttered. Rolling back over slowly, he noted the room was empty. He took his time sitting up, tenderly aware of his head. As he sat there, trying to let the blood drain back into the correct places, he stormed his mind, trying to find some way to get out.

With how rusted the bars were, you'd think they'd be easy to snap. But after a quick observation of how thick they were, he doubted it was possible. He turned next to the wooden wall behind him. Thick, probably made of the mountain pine. Nothing would get through that.

He thought about fire, but that was absolutely absurd. He had no way of obtaining it (unless prisoners had some right to a cigarette and a match? He seriously doubted it) and even then, he wondered if it would penetrate the sappy wood. He'd probably die before he'd get out.

He didn't bother standing, he was kind of afraid to. With the junk and rubbish on the floor, he wouldn't be surprised if there were several rats nest hidden beneath it all. He ran a hand through his hair, trying not to think about whatever bugs might be dwelling there.

His fingers caught in his crusty tangled hair at the back of his skull. There was a huge knob, accompanied by crusted blood and grime. He sighed, letting his shoulders droop and his hand land in his lap.

He felt like crap.

Hiccup closed his eyes, wondering where Toothless had wound up. Maybe he'd been lucky, maybe the thieves had sold him to some rich oil man. Maybe he'd be treated well.

Dread twisted his gut. Never had Hiccup thought he'd miss an animal so gosh darned much. But he missed Toothless. He felt guilty for failing him.

He jolted out of his thoughts with the creak of the door. The man in the cell beside him snorted in disrupted sleep, rolling over one roll too many as he fell onto the floor with a splat. Hiccup could've sworn he saw something skitter away into the wall.

The sherrif and deputy both entered the room, each carrying a plate of food in one hand and a bottle in the other. Hiccup's stomach growled loudly with the smell of food.

"Aye, yer awake!" The sheriff exclaimed. He slid the plate beneath the door. Hiccup stared at it momentarily, before gathering enough strength and energy to stoop down and pick it up.

"We were begunnin' to think ye were never wakin' up!" The deputy grated. He coughed up a wad of spit and let it fly against the wall. He clanged his bottle against the metal of the other cell. "Bruce! Wake up, wouldya? Ya want this grub or am I gonna have ta eat it myself?"

The man grumbled as he sat up, taking the plate of food begrudgingly. He glanced over to Hiccup as he began stuffing the food into his mouth, not minding the fork that was left unused on the floor.

"Don't mind Bruce. He's 'bought drunk all the time. The only reason we have him here is because if we didn't take him, he'd probably walk clean off the mountain! And he is the mayor, after all."

Hiccup stopped midbite at this information, looking over not in disgust, but in pure horror at the man across him. Bruce didn't even look up from his plate.

" _That's_ the mayor?" Hiccup questioned, wondering if it was all a jest.

"Sure is! Been that way for almost thirty years. He was a young bloke when he got elected. Elected as in the only person who cared to vote was his wife." He suddenly pulled off his rumpled hat and pressed it against his chest. "God rest her soul."

The deputy hoarked up another mouthful of spit.

Hiccup picked at the lumps of food, wondering if they were even edible. The only thing that looked decent was the hard-boiled egg. "When can I leave?"

"When I say ye can, I reckon." The sheriff sat back into his chair and took a long drag out of his cigarette. He picked up a dirty newspaper and said no more on the matter.

Hiccup set his food aside, his appetite gone. His heart ached too much.

He laid back down on the cot and the tightness in his head eased. He let his eyes shut, trying to think up some brilliant plan.

His mind blanked.

"Think, Hiccup." He muttered to himself. What would his Dad do? The thought startled him, but he decided not to dwell on it. Rather, he took it into consideration.

Bribery? He had nothing to bribe with except Astrid's horse, and he'd rather rot in a cell then give up something that didn't belong to him. Money? He had maybe ten bucks on his person, and he didn't think that was enough to bribe the sherrif in letting him go.

He wondered why he was even there. Was he only there to give a bit of excitement to the sherrif and deputy's life? To amuse them? What even was the purpose? They had to feed him, and that couldn't be cheap. Not for much longer anyhow.

He sat there all morning, and was still there on that cot by the afternoon. The room grew humid, forcing him to press his nose against the crack in the walls, trying to get a breath of fresh air. How the sheriff survived in the room while smoking was beyond him.

The door creaked open, and Hiccup rolled over. When the newcomer stepped into the room, Hiccup almost fell of his cot in surprise. He sat up, his head pounding with his heart, and his mouth gaping uselessly in an attempt to say _something._

There, in the middle of the small, grungy office, stood Ruffnut, trussed up from head to toe in lace and frills. Not once, in Hiccup's entire life, had he seen Ruff wear a dress. She'd once worn a split skirt, due to losing a bet, but it had been a one-piece Sioux clothing. This… this was entirely different.

She wore a dress with a skirt almost triple the size of her torso. It was a delicate pink, with lace along the bottom and second layer. She had a tuck on her butt, and was walking in that way where you swing one hip and then the other. It was horrific- because Ruffnut pulled it off so well she looked like she'd walked that way her entire life. It was terrifying knowing she could pull off something so foreign so dang well.

She even wore a little hat atop a messy do. A hat with a gosh darned _feather curled at the top._

Hiccup was dumbstruck. He wasn't even able to reply when she greeted him in a dignified manner.

"Mr. Haddock." She sniffed and dabbed her nose with a dainty handkerchief, clutched in her gloved hand.

The sheriff leapt to his feet, twisting his hat around in his hand. "Ma'am! M-Ma'am, wha' a pleasure! Would ya sit yerself down?" He gestured to his lumpy chair, which Ruffnut disdainfully sniffed at.

She remained standing. Hiccup couldn't help but wonder if she could sit down even if she wanted to, with all those layers.

"I am here for my fiancé." She gestured with her parasol in Hiccup's general direction. Hiccup found he could use his legs again, and slowly got to his feet and leaned forward against the bars.

"Tha-" The sheriff pointed. "is yer fiancé?"

"He is indeed, and I demand to have him back. What pay to you desire?" Ruffnut fluttered her eyelashes and smiled coyly.

The sheriff's mouth opened and closed stupidly; he looked like a fish out of water. Hiccup would have laughed if he wasn't so stunned.

"I-I-I… h-how 'bout fifty?"

Ruffnut raised her eyebrows. "Dollars? Are you insane, man?"

The sheriff blushed. "O-of course… um… twenty will do perfectly fine."

Ruffnut pulled the drawstrings of her purse and pulled out two ten dollar bills, settling them gently into the sheriff's oustretched hand. "Thank you very much." She stood and waited as the sheriff took the keys and unlocked the cell door.

Hiccup picked his hat up off the floor and quickly stepped out. He watched Ruffnut warily, waiting to see if she'd break out cursing any moment and give them away.

She didn't. Instead, she smiled and winked, then turned and waddled away in a nauseatingly feminine way.

Hiccup followed her without a word.

The fresh air was an absolute relief, and his cramped legs were grateful for the freedom. Hiccup sighed, but as soon as the door was shut behind them, he turned to his rescuer.

"Ruff, that was-"

She grabbed him by his shirt collar, her nose practically touching his as she hissed in the most threatening manner. "You mention this once. ONCE- and I'll make sure you never see the light of day ever again."

A familiar voice coughed a laugh behind them. Ruffnut released him and began to shed the clothing as she walked past the next door saloon, leaving them on the ground behind her.

Astrid stepped up beside him, shaking her head. Without a word, she grabbed Hiccup's arm and proceeded to drag him in the direction Ruffnut was still trodding, struggling to escape the many layers of petticoats.

"How did you guys find me?"

"It wasn't hard assuming where you'd go. Horse thieves? Of course you'd come here. And before you give me the whole "I wanted to do it by myself for ridiculous reasons blah blah blah," I wasn't going to follow you." Her sarcastic tone dropped. "There's trouble back home, Hiccup."

His heart twisted, and instantly, he thought of his Dad. Was he hurt? Dead? Captured? Or maybe it was Gobber or Pixie.

"What?" He didn't mean to whisper, it just came out that way. His voice wavered.

She stopped and turned to face him. Her blue eyes sparkled beneath the shade of her hat. "THere was a raid, right after you left. It wasn't Alvin's band. It was... bigger, fiercer. Worse then it's ever been." She licked her lips. "They killed children, Hiccup. They- they shot wildly. Mrs. Irk is dead. Little Alva- the girl at the grocers?- gone. They slaughtered livestock, too. The stables lost three horses."

Hiccup didn't know what to say. He could imagine bodies lining the streets, like the aftermath in a battlefield. He swallowed the the thick bile that built in the back of his throat.

Astrid took a deep breath. "It's- It's awful I-." She cleared her throat. "Your father's wounded, Hiccup. He was asking for you- but-" She gestured to their surroundings, before looking away. "I had to find you. Town's struggling, and your Dad want's you to take control of the cleanup until he's back on his feet."

"Snotlout-?"

"No one can find him." Astrid lowered her brows. "The coward ran."

Hiccup didn't know what to say. He clenched and unclenchedh is fists, trying to decide.

He should face it. Toothless was probably gone. He should give up and go home.

 _Home._ Is that what Berk was? Hiccup wasn't certain.

Yet, he felt like it was wrong of him to go back after such a short time of searching. Was he giving up to soon? What if Toothless was hurt and in trouble? While maybe he was just a horse, he was also the very thing that had kept him from running. From leaving his birthplace and family, as rotten as it may be.

Hiccup felt torn in two, and it must've shown, because Astrid grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze.

"When it's over, and we find who's behind the raids, we'll find him. I'll help- Ruff and Tuff have already vouched to help as well."

Hiccup laughed humorously. "It'll be too late. It already is. I guess I just have to man up and get over it."

Before she could speak- before she could say something to get his hopes up- he pulled away and began walking determinedly towards the stables.

* * *

 _Is this rushed? I'm really trying to take it steadily, but I feel like everything's too short and too to the point. Let me know if you guys think I should slow it down and take it easier. I mean, there's a lot that's still going to happen, but I feel like I'm taking this whole "Toothless is gone" thing too quickly._

 _Anywho... have you guys seen the tv spots for HTTYD 3? I know a lot of people are trying to avoid spoilers at this point (I can't blame them, scenes are being shown left and right!) but if you're looking for info and spoilers, go look them up on YouTube. This movie looks absolutely fantastic! :D I can't wait for it to hit theaters._

 _Anyhow, thanks for all your feedback, I'll see you next time. *salutes*_


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